MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the six brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $203.60.

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. DA Davidson reduced their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $174.06 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $151.10 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $167.29 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $174.85. The company has a market capitalization of $6.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.52 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.68 EPS. Analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. The trade was a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Allied Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter valued at $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 52.1% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,124 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $196,000 after buying an additional 385 shares in the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth about $162,000. Moody National Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth about $200,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 119.2% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 388 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $68,000 after acquiring an additional 211 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

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.