MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Given Buy (B-) Rating at Weiss Ratings

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)‘s stock had its “buy (b-)” rating reaffirmed by Weiss Ratings in a note issued to investors on Saturday,Weiss Ratings reports.

MSA has been the topic of a number of other reports. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 16th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

NYSE MSA opened at $168.34 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $182.85. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $170.33 and a 200 day moving average of $166.24. The company has a market capitalization of $6.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.01 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 3.11.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.01 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total value of $400,213.11. Following the transaction, the president owned 9,083 shares in the company, valued at $1,539,659.33. This trade represents a 20.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake 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 acquiring an additional 27,692 shares during the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.4% in 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 buying an additional 384,365 shares in the last quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at $158,997,000. Cooke & Bieler LP grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 14.4% in the second quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 813,762 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $136,330,000 after buying an additional 102,318 shares in the last quarter. Finally, M&G PLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5,607.2% in the second quarter. M&G PLC now owns 722,251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $121,338,000 after buying an additional 709,596 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

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.