MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Downgraded to “Hold” Rating by Wall Street Zen

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on MSA. B. Riley reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday. They set a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price objective for the company. DA Davidson lowered their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $185.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.2%

NYSE MSA opened at $174.85 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 2.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $197.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.87 billion, a PE ratio of 24.12 and a beta of 0.95. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $166.23 and its 200 day moving average is $159.23.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $402.60 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The firm’s revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.61 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total value of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter worth $282,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 12.2% in the fourth quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 10,091 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,673,000 after acquiring an additional 1,099 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter worth $1,844,000. Xponance Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 4,387 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $727,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 38.8% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 56,365 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $9,344,000 after acquiring an additional 15,761 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide.