Brokerages Set MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Price Target at $203.60

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) has received an average rating of “Hold” from the six research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $203.60.

Several brokerages have issued reports on MSA. DA Davidson cut their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA opened at $170.91 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $167.27 and its 200-day moving average is $174.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.60 billion, a PE ratio of 23.10 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $151.10 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The business had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.68 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. The trade was a 13.27% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in 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. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Allied Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. eCIO Inc. bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake 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 worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is currently 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.