MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Receives $186.50 Average Target Price from Analysts

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the five analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $186.50.

Several analysts have weighed in on MSA shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position 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 worth $6,953,000 after buying an additional 13,501 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter worth about $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings 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 worth $646,000 after acquiring an additional 1,359 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 115.4% in the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 293 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 157 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 48.0% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 398 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $181.34 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 3.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $165.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $168.48. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $127.86 and a 52-week high of $185.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.58 and a beta of 0.97.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $468.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $461.37 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.24% and a net margin of 15.02%.The business’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.83 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 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.