MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Now Covered by Analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) in a report issued on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage issued a neutral rating and a $200.00 target price on the industrial products company’s stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 1.6%

NYSE:MSA opened at $184.15 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $7.21 billion, a PE ratio of 25.97 and a beta of 0.98. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $168.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $168.79. 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 has a 52-week low of $127.86 and a 52-week high of $185.54.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.90%.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total value of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $713,874. The trade was a 6.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. eCIO Inc. bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.