MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report report published on Saturday.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $204.83.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA opened at $169.70 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $151.10 and a 12 month high of $208.92. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $174.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $172.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.93 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The business had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $451.28 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.68 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the industrial products company to repurchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.54 per share. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is 28.65%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth about $158,997,000. Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter worth about $90,999,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter worth about $66,878,000. Natixis Advisors LLC increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1,447.3% during the fourth quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 363,177 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $58,159,000 after acquiring an additional 339,705 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4,827.4% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 338,411 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $58,230,000 after acquiring an additional 331,543 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.