MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Reaches New 12-Month High – Here’s What Happened

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $188.58 and last traded at $185.9820, with a volume of 21595 shares. The stock had previously closed at $184.26.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 1.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 3.08 and a quick ratio of 1.86. The company has a market cap of $7.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.25 and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $168.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $168.79.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders 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 29.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling 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 value of $53,613.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $713,874. The trade was a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 50.7% during the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,775 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $284,000 after buying an additional 597 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 730.1% during the 4th quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 19,889 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,185,000 after buying an additional 17,493 shares in the last quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 15.8% during the 4th quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 7,238 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,159,000 after buying an additional 985 shares in the last quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 10.3% in the 4th quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 13,745 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,201,000 after purchasing an additional 1,285 shares during the period. Finally, Keybank National Association OH lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 36.7% in the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 2,982 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $478,000 after acquiring an additional 800 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

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.