MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) Updates Q2 2026 Earnings Guidance

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) issued an update on its second quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 2.600-3.200 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 2.370. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.2 billion-$1.2 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.1 billion.

MKS Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MKSI traded up $6.12 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $293.77. 2,295,776 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,403,498. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $247.33 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $203.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.78 billion, a PE ratio of 67.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.98. MKS has a 12 month low of $71.49 and a 12 month high of $298.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a current ratio of 2.71.

MKS (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.00 by $0.30. MKS had a net margin of 7.53% and a return on equity of 20.85%. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.05 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.71 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. MKS has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.600-3.200 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that MKS will post 9.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MKS Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 23rd. This is a boost from MKS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. MKS’s dividend payout ratio is 22.88%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MKSI has been the subject of several analyst reports. Zacks Research raised shares of MKS from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $310.00 price objective on shares of MKS in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Mizuho set a $320.00 price objective on shares of MKS in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of MKS from $265.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of MKS from $295.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.77.

Insider Buying and Selling at MKS

In other MKS news, EVP Eric Robert Taranto sold 4,568 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.52, for a total transaction of $1,007,335.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 15,445 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,405,931.40. This trade represents a 22.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Elizabeth Mora sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.44, for a total transaction of $71,832.00. Following the sale, the director owned 18,663 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,468,668.72. This trade represents a 1.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 68,503 shares of company stock worth $17,288,099 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.57% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting MKS

Here are the key news stories impacting MKS this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — MKS reported $2.30 EPS vs. a $2.00 consensus and revenue of $1.08B vs. $1.05B consensus, signaling better-than-expected execution and demand. MKS (MKSI) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Raised/strong Q2 guidance — management set Q2 2026 EPS guidance of $2.60–$3.20 (above the ~$2.37 consensus) and revenue guidance around $1.2B (above the ~$1.1B consensus), which supports upside to estimates and analyst revisions. MKS Inc. Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Company metrics and disclosure — the firm reported a net margin of ~7.5% and ROE ~20.9%; the official press release/earnings deck is available for detail review. These help investors model forward cash flow but are not new surprises. View Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings and analyst coverage — recent previews and comparative pieces (e.g., Zacks, American Banking News) provide context for estimates and peer comparisons but did not introduce new material facts. Gear Up for MKS (MKSI) Q1 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling headline — reports note insiders have been selling shares, which can create caution among some investors even as analysts turn more optimistic on earnings potential. Monitor magnitude and context of sales. Why MKS (MKSI) Insiders Are Selling

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MKS

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MKSI. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP acquired a new stake in MKS in the 4th quarter valued at $95,880,000. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in MKS by 9,165.9% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 446,248 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $55,232,000 after purchasing an additional 441,432 shares during the period. Rafferty Asset Management LLC grew its position in MKS by 63.4% in the 2nd quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 878,114 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $87,249,000 after purchasing an additional 340,645 shares during the period. Nomura Holdings Inc. grew its position in MKS by 316.9% in the 3rd quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 426,509 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $52,789,000 after purchasing an additional 324,195 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in MKS by 44.2% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 982,643 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $97,635,000 after purchasing an additional 301,223 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

MKS Company Profile

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.