Analysts Set MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Target Price at $189.20

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $202.1667.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total value of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at $658,054.32. This represents a 25.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 2,409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $386,000 after buying an additional 258 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 59,849 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $9,584,000 after purchasing an additional 5,531 shares in the last quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 56.3% during the fourth quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 47,321 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $7,578,000 after buying an additional 17,049 shares during the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter valued at about $4,165,000. Finally, First Manhattan CO. LLC. raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 10.0% in the 4th quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 57,425 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $9,196,000 after acquiring an additional 5,200 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:MSA opened at $197.64 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $7.66 billion, a PE ratio of 27.92 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 3.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $208.92. The business has a 50 day moving average of $177.32 and a 200-day moving average of $170.53.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 14.88% and a return on equity of 24.48%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.25 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business 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 $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.94%.

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.