Brokerages Set MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) PT at $186.50

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the five brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $186.50.

A number of research firms have issued reports on MSA. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, December 20th.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $713,874. This represents a 6.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth about $158,997,000. Cooke & Bieler LP raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 824,620 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $141,892,000 after buying an additional 10,858 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 754,748 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $129,866,000 after acquiring an additional 16,576 shares during the period. M&G PLC boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5,607.2% during the 2nd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 722,251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $121,338,000 after acquiring an additional 709,596 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 616,690 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $106,114,000 after acquiring an additional 1,803 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 1.2%

MSA stock opened at $162.06 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 3.08 and a quick ratio of 1.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.86 and a beta of 0.97. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $160.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $167.70. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $182.85.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.04. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.02% and a return on equity of 25.24%. The company had revenue of $468.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $461.37 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.83 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 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, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th were paid a dividend of $0.5625 per share. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $2.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 29.90%.

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.