MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the six ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $211.3333.

MSA has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. DA Davidson set a $223.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, 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, August 3rd.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price 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 in the company, valued at $606,989.25. The trade was a 13.27% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 469 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total transaction of $89,579.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,776 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $721,216. This trade represents a 11.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its holdings 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 worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Allied Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the 2nd 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 during the period. Finally, Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth approximately $57,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MSA opened at $193.10 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.24, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $171.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $175.67. The company has a market cap of $7.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.02 and a beta of 0.94. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $151.10 and a 12 month high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 16.13%.The company had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $496.27 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.93 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.23 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 26.87%.

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.