MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Reaches New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)’s share price hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $188.58 and last traded at $185.9820, with a volume of 21595 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $184.26.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 1.0%

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $168.87 and a 200-day simple moving average of $168.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a current ratio of 3.08. The company has a market cap of $7.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.25 and a beta of 0.98.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total value of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $713,874. This trade represents a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MSA. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $6,953,000 after buying an additional 13,501 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter worth about $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,359 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.9% in the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 11,100 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,860,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 38.1% during the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 3,415 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $572,000 after buying an additional 942 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

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.