MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Receives $202.17 Average Price Target from Analysts

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $202.1667.

Several research analysts have issued reports on MSA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at $658,054.32. This represents a 25.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cooke & Bieler LP grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 824,620 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $141,892,000 after buying an additional 10,858 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 156,293 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,893,000 after acquiring an additional 3,600 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter valued at $782,000. Alps Advisors Inc. bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter worth $15,282,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.8% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 449,136 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $75,244,000 after acquiring an additional 28,481 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of MSA stock opened at $176.87 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $127.86 and a 1-year high of $208.92. The company has a current ratio of 3.01, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market cap of $6.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.98 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $186.66 and a 200-day moving average of $172.41.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The company had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $508.62 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.25 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research 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 was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.94%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the industrial products company to purchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

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.