MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Given Hold Rating at Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed their hold rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) in a research note released on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a $180.00 price target on the industrial products company’s stock, down from their prior price target of $200.00.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on the company. DA Davidson raised their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Finally, National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.14.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of MSA opened at $163.62 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a current ratio of 3.01. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $185.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $172.44. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.11 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.62 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.25 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.94%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the industrial products company to reacquire up to 6.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at $658,054.32. This represents a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. eCIO Inc. bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. First Horizon Corp bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 397.7% in the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 219 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. 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.