MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Reaches New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $195.13 and last traded at $195.02, with a volume of 164346 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $193.13.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on MSA shares. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 1.0%

The stock has a market cap of $7.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.51 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a current ratio of 3.08, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $171.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $169.19.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 is presently 29.90%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $713,874. The trade was a 6.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings 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 worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 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.