MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Shares Cross Below 200-Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $178.13 and traded as low as $176.01. MSA Safety Incorporporated shares last traded at $177.1330, with a volume of 235,605 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. DA Davidson set a $223.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, October 24th. Finally, B. Riley Financial downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $211.33.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.4%

The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 3.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market cap of $6.89 billion, a PE ratio of 22.20 and a beta of 0.92. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $182.77 and a 200 day moving average of $178.18.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 period in the previous year, the business earned $1.93 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th were issued a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 26.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan Buck sold 469 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total value of $89,579.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,776 shares in the company, valued at $721,216. This represents a 11.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total transaction of $3,879,800.00. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,762,352.76. The trade was a 28.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Giverny Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,034,000. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 15,958.9% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 102,456 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $16,798,000 after purchasing an additional 101,818 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2,490.2% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 89,517 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $15,628,000 after purchasing an additional 86,061 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 42.5% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 218,070 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,752,000 after purchasing an additional 65,002 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 56.6% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 161,000 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,395,000 after buying an additional 58,220 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE: MSA) develops and manufactures safety products and systems designed to protect workers and facility operations. Its offerings include industrial and firefighter helmets, eye and face protection, hearing protection, respiratory protection, protective clothing, and fall-protection equipment.

The company also provides portable and fixed gas-detection systems, flame detection and suppression technologies, thermal imaging cameras, and related software and services.