MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) has earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the seven ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $203.1429.

MSA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated 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 reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $205.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of MSA stock opened at $165.61 on Wednesday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $6.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.39 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $183.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $172.30. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $131.66 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 14.88% and a return on equity of 24.48%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.25 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were 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 owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its position 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 buying an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. eCIO Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 worth $33,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 397.7% during the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 219 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.