Contrasting WISeKey International (NASDAQ:WKEY) and MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

WISeKey International (NASDAQ:WKEY) and MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares WISeKey International and MSA Safety Incorporporated’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
WISeKey International	N/A	N/A	N/A
MSA Safety Incorporporated	15.15%	26.03%	13.16%

Volatility & Risk

WISeKey International has a beta of 1.5, indicating that its stock price is 50% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, MSA Safety Incorporporated has a beta of 0.96, indicating that its stock price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for WISeKey International and MSA Safety Incorporporated, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
WISeKey International	0	0	1	0	3.00
MSA Safety Incorporporated	0	3	2	0	2.40

WISeKey International presently has a consensus target price of $4.00, indicating a potential downside of 24.53%. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a consensus target price of $189.20, indicating a potential upside of 8.40%. Given MSA Safety Incorporporated’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe MSA Safety Incorporporated is more favorable than WISeKey International.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

0.3% of WISeKey International shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 92.5% of MSA Safety Incorporporated shares are owned by institutional investors. 33.5% of WISeKey International shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.7% of MSA Safety Incorporporated shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares WISeKey International and MSA Safety Incorporporated”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
WISeKey International	$11.88 million	3.64	-$13.45 million	N/A	N/A
MSA Safety Incorporporated	$1.81 billion	3.78	$284.97 million	$7.01	24.90

MSA Safety Incorporporated has higher revenue and earnings than WISeKey International.

Summary

MSA Safety Incorporporated beats WISeKey International on 9 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About WISeKey International

WISeKey International Holding AG, a cybersecurity company, provides integrated security solutions in Switzerland, rest of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The company operates in two segments, IoT and Managed Public Key Infrastructure (mPKI). It offers microcontrollers that provides identity to various connected devices; and mPKI, which include digital identity, certificate management and signing solutions, and trust services, as well as offers digital certificates; software as a service, including cloud-based certificate life-cycle-management and signing and authentication solutions; software licenses; post-contract customer support for cybersecurity applications; and infrastructure hosting and monitoring services. The company also develops, markets, hosts, and supports a range of solutions that enable secure digital identification of people, content, and objects by generating digital identities through its products and services in cybersecurity services, IoT, digital brand management, and mobile security, which enable clients to monetize their existing user bases, as well as expand its eco-system. In addition, it engages in financing, sales, and distribution activities; and sells semiconductors secure chips. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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. The company's core product offerings include fixed gas and flame detection systems, such as gas detection monitoring systems, and flame detectors and open-path infrared gas detectors; breathing apparatus products, including self-contained breathing apparatus; hand-held portable gas detection instruments to detect the presence or absence of various gases in the air; industrial head protection products; firefighter helmets and protective apparel; and fall protection equipment, such as confined space equipment, harnesses, lanyards, and self-retracting lifelines, as well as engineered systems. In addition, the company offers air-purifying respirators, eye and face protection products, ballistic helmets, and gas masks. It serves distributors and end-users through indirect and direct sales channels. The company offers its products under the V-Gard, Cairns, and Gallet brand names. MSA Safety Incorporated was founded in 1914 and is based in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania.