Wall Street Zen Downgrades MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) to Hold

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

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $186.50.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MSA opened at $160.15 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $6.27 billion, a PE ratio of 22.59 and a beta of 0.96. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $161.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $167.88. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $182.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a current ratio of 3.08.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.04. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.24% and a net margin of 15.02%.The firm had revenue of $468.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $461.37 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.83 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $713,874. This represents a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MSA. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter valued at approximately $158,997,000. M&G PLC increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5,607.2% during the second quarter. M&G PLC now owns 722,251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $121,338,000 after purchasing an additional 709,596 shares in the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.4% during the 1st quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,738,675 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $255,046,000 after purchasing an additional 384,365 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4,827.4% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 338,411 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $58,230,000 after purchasing an additional 331,543 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth $52,167,000. 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 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.