MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.10 EPS

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The industrial products company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.28 by $0.10, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.02% and a return on equity of 25.24%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA traded up $2.74 on Wednesday, reaching $197.40. 217,895 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 227,057. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $197.55. The stock has a market cap of $7.73 billion, a PE ratio of 27.84 and a beta of 0.98. 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’s fifty day moving average price is $171.79 and its 200-day moving average price is $169.29.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 29.90%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the business’s 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $713,874. The trade was a 6.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Quantessence Capital LLC purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter valued at $411,000. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter valued at about $450,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the third quarter valued at about $1,796,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,757 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $462,000 after purchasing an additional 661 shares during the period. Finally, Brevan Howard Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter worth about $612,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $189.20.

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.