MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the five ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $186.50.

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Weiss Ratings lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.4%

NYSE MSA opened at $183.40 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $185.54. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $165.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $168.49. The company has a current ratio of 3.08, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market cap of $7.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.87 and a beta of 0.97.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 29.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $713,874. This trade represents a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,458 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,194,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the period. Oak Thistle LLC raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 103.8% during the fourth quarter. Oak Thistle LLC now owns 6,144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $984,000 after acquiring an additional 3,129 shares in the last quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,566,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Finally, eCIO Inc. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.