MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the seven research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $200.00.

MSA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. DA Davidson decreased their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the 3rd 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 last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in 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 buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $43,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA stock opened at $164.83 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 3.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $151.10 and a 12 month high of $208.92. The firm has a market cap of $6.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.27 and a beta of 0.96. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $169.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $173.18.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The firm had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.68 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the industrial products company to repurchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

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.