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

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The industrial products company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.28 by $0.10, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.24% and a net margin of 15.02%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 1.4%

MSA traded up $2.74 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $197.40. 217,895 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 227,057. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $171.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $169.29. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $127.86 and a 1-year high of $197.55. The company has a market cap of $7.73 billion, a PE ratio of 27.84 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a current ratio of 3.08, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $189.20.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $53,613.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $713,874. This represents a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 55.8% during the 3rd quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 1,898 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $325,000 after buying an additional 680 shares in the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter worth $311,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 34.3% during the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 1,742 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $300,000 after acquiring an additional 445 shares during the period. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter worth $297,000. Finally, Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.4% in the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $297,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.