Short Interest in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Drops By 18.0%

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) was the target of a large decline in short interest in the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 1,247,619 shares, a decline of 18.0% from the January 15th total of 1,522,077 shares. Approximately 3.2% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 242,981 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.1 days. Based on an average daily volume of 242,981 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.1 days. Approximately 3.2% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total value of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $713,874. The trade was a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. eCIO Inc. bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the third quarter worth $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Penserra Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MSA has been the subject of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE MSA traded up $0.65 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $202.59. 258,340 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 216,916. The company has a market cap of $7.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.61 and a beta of 0.98. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $175.81 and a 200-day moving average price of $170.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a current ratio of 3.01.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The business had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.62 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.25 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 29.94%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of safety products designed to protect workers in hazardous environments. The company’s offerings span personal protective equipment such as industrial helmets, face shields, protective clothing and fall protection devices, as well as fixed and portable gas detection and monitoring systems. MSA’s products are used in industries including oil and gas, mining, construction, fire service, and chemical processing to guard against risks such as gas leaks, impacts, flame exposure and falls from height.

Key product lines include self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and air-purifying respirators, gas detectors and sensors, head and face protection, and fall arrest systems.