Key Points
- Director Gerald Colella sold 10,000 shares on Feb. 20 at an average price of $252.90 for $2,529,000, cutting his holding by 16.66% to 50,017 shares (SEC Form 4 filed).
- Broader insider selling was substantial: CEO John T.C. Lee sold about 30,000 shares (~$7.7M) and multiple other insiders sold through Feb. 20–24, totaling roughly $11M in reported dispositions, which the article says is exerting downward pressure on the stock.
- Company and market context: Q4 revenue grew ~10.5% and beat estimates while EPS missed slightly; MKS raised its quarterly dividend to $0.25 and set Q1 FY26 guidance of $1.72–$2.28, with analysts holding a consensus "Moderate Buy" and an average target of about $273.
MKS Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) Director Gerald Colella sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $252.90, for a total value of $2,529,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 50,017 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,649,299.30. This trade represents a 16.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
MKS Stock Down 0.9%
Shares of MKSI stock opened at $251.41 on Wednesday. MKS Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.84 and a 1 year high of $269.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a current ratio of 2.71. The business's fifty day moving average is $208.65 and its 200-day moving average is $159.00. The stock has a market cap of $16.89 billion, a PE ratio of 57.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.95.
MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.51 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $1.03 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. MKS had a net margin of 7.53% and a return on equity of 20.85%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.15 EPS. MKS has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.720-2.280 EPS. Equities analysts expect that MKS Inc. will post 6.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
MKS Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. This is an increase from MKS's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. MKS's dividend payout ratio is presently 22.88%.
Key MKS News
Here are the key news stories impacting MKS this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism: multiple brokers recently raised targets and reiterated buy/overweight views, supporting upside expectations and a median/consensus target materially above earlier levels. Price Target Raises
- Positive Sentiment: Investor visibility event: CEO John T.C. Lee will speak at Morgan Stanley’s Tech/Media/Telecom conference (March 2) with a webcast available — a chance for management to update investors on demand, margins and roadmap. Conference Participation
- Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase: MKS raised its quarterly dividend to $0.25/sh (from $0.22), signaling confidence in cashflow and returning more capital to shareholders. Dividend & Stock Data
- Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed: revenue grew ~10.5% y/y and beat expectations, but EPS missed the consensus by a small amount; Q1 FY26 EPS guidance was provided (1.720–2.280), leaving room for interpretation on near‑term margins. This is supportive of a solid medium‑term story but may already be priced in. Earnings Summary
- Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling: CEO John T.C. Lee sold 30,000 shares (~$7.7M) and multiple other executives/directors sold additional stakes across Feb. 20–24 (totaling tens of thousands of shares, roughly ~$11M reported). These open‑market dispositions materially reduced some insiders’ holdings and are exerting downward pressure on the stock. SEC Form 4 filings for the CEO are available. CEO Form 4
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new position in MKS in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of MKS by 560.0% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 165 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake 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 worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of MKS during the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in MKS during the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of analysts recently weighed in on MKSI shares. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of MKS from $200.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Benchmark raised their price objective on MKS from $135.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Needham & Company LLC lifted their target price on MKS from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of MKS in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered MKS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $273.46.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on MKSI
About MKS
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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.
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