MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the seven ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $200.00.

Several analysts recently weighed in on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. DA Davidson dropped their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE:MSA opened at $170.12 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $6.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.99 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $167.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $173.55. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $151.10 and a 1-year high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.68 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $606,989.25. The trade was a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter valued at $158,997,000. Madison Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at $90,999,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at $66,878,000. Natixis Advisors LLC raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1,447.3% in the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 363,177 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $58,159,000 after acquiring an additional 339,705 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4,827.4% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 338,411 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $58,230,000 after acquiring an additional 331,543 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.