MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Downgraded by B. Riley Financial to “Neutral”

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) was downgraded by equities researchers at B. Riley Financial from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report issued on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They presently have a $195.00 price objective on the industrial products company’s stock, down from their previous price objective of $210.00. B. Riley Financial’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 2.13% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday. DA Davidson dropped their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $205.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE MSA opened at $190.94 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $7.37 billion, a PE ratio of 23.75 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a current ratio of 3.24, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $151.10 and a twelve month high of $208.92. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $168.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $175.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $503.33 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $496.27 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.12%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.93 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its position in 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 valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 126 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Allied Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in 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. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.