MKS (MKSI) slides 8.9% as risk-off selling hits semiconductor names; investors continue digesting recent outlook and balance-sheet updates

MKS Inc. (MKSI) is down 8.9% today. Here is some analysis on what might have caused this price movement.

Analysis: The move appears most consistent with a broad “risk-off” tape that pressured semiconductor and other cyclical growth stocks as oil prices surged and investors reacted to signs of a weakening job market amid escalating Middle East tensions. The decline may also reflect profit-taking and positioning after the company’s recent earnings/guidance update and debt-refinancing actions, which had helped drive a strong run-up in the shares.

Details:

U.S. equities fell sharply as crude oil jumped to its highest level in years, with the market also weighing softer labor-market data and geopolitics—conditions that often hit higher-beta tech and semiconductor-exposed stocks harder.

MKS recently reported Q4 and full-year 2025 results and issued first-quarter 2026 guidance, giving investors fresh inputs on demand conditions across its semiconductor and electronics exposure.

The company also completed a major refinancing that included a €1.0 billion senior notes offering and amendments to its credit facilities, aimed at extending maturities and reducing interest expense.

This week’s investor focus has included management’s conference commentary about end-market positioning (including AI-related semiconductor themes), which can amplify sensitivity to any sector-wide sentiment shifts.

Sources:

Associated Press, GlobeNewswire, Seeking Alpha

Disclaimer: This price movement analysis was generated with the help of AI. Please double-check the information provided for mistakes.

$MKSI Insider Trading Activity

$MKSI insiders have traded $MKSI stock on the open market 21 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 21 have been sales.

Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $MKSI stock by insiders over the last 6 months:

JOHN TSENG-CHUNG LEE (President & CEO) has made 0 purchases and 4 sales selling 30,000 shares for an estimated $7,703,242.
GERALD G COLELLA has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 20,000 shares for an estimated $5,068,674.
JAMES ALAN SCHREINER (EVP & COO) has made 0 purchases and 3 sales selling 5,649 shares for an estimated $1,248,013.
DAVID PHILIP HENRY (EVP, Global Str Mktg & GM, MSD) has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 7,000 shares for an estimated $1,173,120.
KATHLEEN FLAHERTY BURKE (EVP, GC & Secretary) sold 4,254 shares for an estimated $1,063,500
JOHN EDWARD WILLIAMS (EVP & GM, PSD) sold 2,042 shares for an estimated $523,744
MICHELLE M MCCARTHY (VP & Chief Accounting Officer) has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 1,466 shares for an estimated $366,502.
ERIC ROBERT TARANTO (EVP & GM, VSD) sold 1,452 shares for an estimated $359,623
PETER III CANNONE sold 1,250 shares for an estimated $322,574
JACQUELINE F MOLONEY has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 1,129 shares for an estimated $241,860.
ELIZABETH MORA has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 600 shares for an estimated $119,475.

To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.

$MKSI Hedge Fund Activity

We have seen 293 institutional investors add shares of $MKSI stock to their portfolio, and 216 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.

Here are some of the largest recent moves:

INVESCO LTD. added 1,472,145 shares (+61.8%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $235,248,771
VICTORY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT INC removed 1,019,817 shares (-28.5%) from their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $162,966,756
NORDEA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AB removed 996,602 shares (-62.4%) from their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $159,256,999
JPMORGAN CHASE & CO added 886,847 shares (+133.4%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $141,718,150
PRICE T ROWE ASSOCIATES INC /MD/ removed 879,169 shares (-24.2%) from their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $140,491,206
RAFFERTY ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC removed 878,114 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $108,684,169
UBS AM, A DISTINCT BUSINESS UNIT OF UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC removed 625,561 shares (-75.8%) from their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $99,964,647

To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.

$MKSI Government Contracts

We have seen $1,011,684 of award payments to $MKSI over the last year.

Here are some of the awards which we have have seen pay out the most over the last year:

AUTOMATED FEMTOSECOND LASER OPTICAL PARAMETRIC AMPLIFIER SYSTEM: $173,950
TSUNAMI LASER UPGRADE: $124,906
MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT FOR MAI TAI BB LASER (S/N 1552EV) AND MAI TAI LASER (S/N 4724EV): $107,111
PURCHASE OF TUNABLE DIODE LASER SYSTEM: $69,666
VIBRATION ISOLATED OPTICAL WORK BENCHES: $54,815

To track government contracts to publicy traded companies, check out Quiver Quantitative's government contracts dashboard.

$MKSI Congressional Stock Trading

Members of Congress have traded $MKSI stock 3 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 1 have been purchases and 2 have been sales.

Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $MKSI stock by members of Congress over the last 6 months:

REPRESENTATIVE LISA C. MCCLAIN has traded it 3 times. They made 1 purchase worth up to $15,000 on 10/30 and 2 sales worth up to $30,000 on 10/31, 10/30.

To track congressional stock trading, check out Quiver Quantitative's congressional trading dashboard.

$MKSI Analyst Ratings

Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $MKSI in the last several months. We have seen 7 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.

Here are some recent analyst ratings:

TD Cowen issued a "Buy" rating on 01/22/2026
Morgan Stanley issued a "Overweight" rating on 01/22/2026
Needham issued a "Buy" rating on 01/13/2026
Mizuho issued a "Outperform" rating on 12/17/2025
Citigroup issued a "Buy" rating on 11/12/2025
Benchmark issued a "Buy" rating on 11/07/2025
Keybanc issued a "Overweight" rating on 11/07/2025

To track analyst ratings and price targets for $MKSI, check out Quiver Quantitative's $MKSI forecast page.

$MKSI Price Targets

Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $MKSI recently. We have seen 13 analysts offer price targets for $MKSI in the last 6 months, with a median target of $255.0.

Here are some recent targets:

James Schneider from Goldman Sachs set a target price of $200.0 on 02/19/2026
James Ricchiuti from Needham set a target price of $300.0 on 02/19/2026
Peter Peng from JP Morgan set a target price of $305.0 on 02/19/2026
Atif Malik from Citigroup set a target price of $295.0 on 02/19/2026
Melissa Weathers from Deutsche Bank set a target price of $305.0 on 02/19/2026
Joseph Quatrochi from Wells Fargo set a target price of $255.0 on 02/19/2026
Krish Sankar from TD Cowen set a target price of $230.0 on 01/22/2026

This article is not financial advice. See Quiver Quantitative's disclaimers for more information. Note that there may be inaccuracies due to mistakes in ticker-mapping, and other anomalies.