MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Research Coverage Started at Stifel Nicolaus

Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) in a research report released on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat reports. The firm issued a hold rating and a $182.00 price objective on the industrial products company’s stock.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. DA Davidson lowered their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley restated a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 target price (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 27th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $185.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:MSA opened at $174.85 on Wednesday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $127.86 and a 52-week high of $197.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.12 and a beta of 0.95. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $166.23 and a 200-day moving average price of $159.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The firm had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $402.60 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.61 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.21%. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.24%.

Insider Activity

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 35,401 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,883,844 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $643,825,000 after buying an additional 22,190 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.4% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,027,471 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $297,410,000 after buying an additional 27,692 shares in the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.4% during the first quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,738,675 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $255,046,000 after acquiring an additional 384,365 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,131,515 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $187,573,000 after acquiring an additional 271,264 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 806,438 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $133,718,000 after acquiring an additional 24,733 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.