Gerald Colella Sells 10,000 Shares of MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Stock

MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Director Gerald Colella sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.97, for a total transaction of $2,539,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 40,017 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,163,117.49. This trade represents a 19.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

MKS Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of MKSI stock traded down $1.38 on Tuesday, hitting $252.33. The stock had a trading volume of 1,041,971 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,654,198. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 1.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 57.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.94. MKS Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.84 and a 1 year high of $269.91. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $206.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $157.93.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.51 by ($0.04). MKS had a return on equity of 20.85% and a net margin of 7.53%.The business had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.15 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. MKS has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.720-2.280 EPS. Analysts anticipate that MKS Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MKS Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Investors of record on Monday, February 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 23rd. This is a positive change from MKS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. MKS’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.14%.

MKS News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting MKS this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokers raised price targets and reiterated Buy/Overweight views (recent top targets reported near $300–$305), which supports upside expectations versus the recent run-up. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: CEO John T.C. Lee will appear in a Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom fireside chat (Mar 2, webcast available). That event gives management a public forum to update investors on demand trends, product roadmap and margins. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: MKS increased its quarterly dividend (to $0.25/share), signaling confidence in cash flow and returning capital to shareholders. That supports longer‑term investor interest. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street coverage remains broadly constructive (multiple Buy/Overweight ratings and a mid‑range analyst median target), which underpins sentiment but may be partially priced in after the recent share run. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling was filed on Feb. 20: CEO John T.C. Lee sold 30,000 shares (~$7.7M) and multiple other executives/directors sold additional stakes (totaling tens of thousands of shares). Those Form 4 disclosures have reduced insiders’ positions and are pressuring sentiment near current levels. Read More.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MKS

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in MKS in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MKS by 560.0% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 165 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in shares of MKS by 616.7% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 172 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. purchased a new position in shares of MKS during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of MKS during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MKSI shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of MKS in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Benchmark raised their target price on shares of MKS from $135.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of MKS from $265.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of MKS from $135.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Mizuho set a $320.00 price objective on shares of MKS in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $273.46.

About MKS

MKS Instruments, Inc (NASDAQ: MKSI) designs, manufactures and markets technology solutions that enable advanced processes in a variety of high‐technology and industrial markets. The company’s core offerings include vacuum and gas delivery systems, pressure and flow measurement instruments, optical metrology tools, photonics subsystems and critical components for manufacturing processes. These products support the precise control and monitoring needs of semiconductor, industrial manufacturing, life and health sciences, and research applications.

The company’s product portfolio features mass flow controllers, pressure transducers, vacuum gauges, gas purity monitors, laser-based metrology systems and photonic devices such as lasers and detectors.