An entry written while the outcome is still unknown. It will be scored by what the market does next, and it will never be edited to look cleverer than it was.
In plain words · MKS Inc.
VERDICT
The label
Markup
read at $285.31
MKS Inc holds its Markup at $285.31.
PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Markup label
INInsiders · no filings inside 60 days, left as found
POPositioning · no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
OPOptions · no verdict drawn today, left as found
SCScreen · passes the values gate
edge confirmed
edge broken
edge forming
Each arm is one independent read. Conviction is not a single call, it is how many edges converge.
INVESTOR
The investor read · the season, not the day
As held on the ledger · 2026-07-29
Phase
Markup
Quantitative state
Consolidating, no directional conviction, held for 266 days
Price
$285.31
Valuation
66.20 trailing · 18.58 forward price to earnings
Values screen
PASS· score 70.0
Beta
1.93
OPPORTUNITY
The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth
Read at
$285.31
66.20 P/E · 18.58 fwd
Our fair value
$407.16
43% discount
Analyst target (avg)
$415.00
+45% to current
Target low $265.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $600.00
▲ current $285.31 · | average target
Price history & projections · where it has been, where the models see it going
The valuation journey · where the price sits against fair value and the Street
Current
$285.31
you are here
Conservative
$299.50
+5%
Analyst avg
$415.00
+45%
Our fair value
$407.16
+43%
Analyst high
$600.00
+110%
Green marks levels above today's price, red below; the shaded band is the gap between the price and our fair value.
Reading the gap · Both our model and the analysts see meaningful upside from here.
Revenue growth
15.20%
Profit margin
8.03%
Debt to equity
152.69
Analyst consensus
Buy · 13 covering
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; target range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
SCREEN
The values screen, explained · five checks, plain English
This company clears both standards. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor. Here is how it did on each:
The common standard· AAOIFI Used by most halal investing apps✓ PASSES
Our stricter standard· asset-based The one Titan applies✓ PASSES
Business activityIts core business isn't built on prohibited lines — no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending.Pass
Debt loadInterest-bearing debt is of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows.Fail
Interest-bearing cashInterest-bearing cash and securities are of assets, above the one-third limit.Fail
ReceivablesMoney owed to the company is of assets, above the 49% limit.Fail
Revenue purity of revenue comes from non-compliant sources, over the 5% line.Fail
Every security is read against two recognised standards: our stricter asset-based screen (ratios measured against total assets) and the more widely used market-value standard (measured against market capitalisation). Where they agree we say so plainly; where they part ways — almost always on the debt check — we show both readings and mark it, because that disagreement is the finding, not a fault. We report the score; you and your scholar make the call.
PLAIN
The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean
Chip equipment supplier offers little edge today
Every wafer that leaves a fab depends on vacuum and laser kit that keeps the process running. MKS supplies that kit across the big semiconductor hubs. The business posts 15% revenue growth and clears an 8% profit margin, yet returns on equity sit at just 13% with only a narrow moat.
Those figures explain why the shares trade below our fair value of 387.88 against a 21.3 times forward earnings multiple. Analyst targets cluster around 380 and the ethical screen clears, but the combination of modest profitability and limited competitive protection leaves no real margin of safety at the current price.
The main risk is the sharp cyclical swings in semiconductor capital spending that can flatten growth and margins for years at a time. A narrow moat offers little shelter when orders slow. Analysis, not advice.
The risks · The things to watch: it already moves more than the market on an average day; it carries a real debt load, which raises the stakes if revenue slips.
Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.
Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.
TRADER
The trader read · the latest dated commentary
The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B. Technically it is holding around 66% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 236%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 38%. The street (12 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $360. Entered 2026-07-18 · Accumulation
JOURNAL
The dated journal · newest first, never edited
2026-07-18Accumulation$355.69+0.0%Entry 3
The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B. Technically it is holding around 66% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 236%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 38%. The street (12 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $360.
2026-07-03Accumulation$355.69+0.0%Entry 2
The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns.
2026-07-02Accumulation$355.69Entry 1
The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.
RETURNS
What holding actually paid · price plus dividends
If $1,000 had been placed · historical, not a promise
Period
Price then
Price return
Divs per share
$1,000 became
Total return
1 month
$319.47
-1.4%
$0.25
$987
-1.3%
2 months
$268.57
+17.3%
$0.25
$1,174
+17.4%
3 months
$213.33
+47.7%
$0.25
$1,478
+47.8%
6 months
$166.51
+89.2%
$0.50
$1,895
+89.5%
1 year
$93.65
+236.4%
$0.94
$3,374
+237.4%
2 years
$129.22
+143.8%
$1.82
$2,452
+145.2%
3 years
$98.58
+219.5%
$2.70
$3,223
+222.3%
5 years
$170.94
+84.3%
$4.46
$1,869
+86.9%
Historical returns from market close data. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
SEALED
This entry now belongs to the ledger. Whatever MKSI does next, these words stay.
MKS Inc · MKSI · Markup · $285.31
Recorded 2026-07-29 · before the outcome · scored mechanically
