Head-To-Head Survey: MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) and SuperCom (NASDAQ:SPCB)

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) and SuperCom (NASDAQ:SPCB) are both industrials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, risk and dividends.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for MSA Safety Incorporporated and SuperCom, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
MSA Safety Incorporporated	0	3	2	0	2.40
SuperCom	1	0	1	0	2.00

MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus price target of $186.50, indicating a potential upside of 3.68%. SuperCom has a consensus price target of $18.00, indicating a potential upside of 125.28%. Given SuperCom’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe SuperCom is more favorable than MSA Safety Incorporporated.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares MSA Safety Incorporporated and SuperCom”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
MSA Safety Incorporporated	$1.81 billion	3.89	$284.97 million	$7.09	25.37
SuperCom	$27.64 million	0.85	$660,000.00	$0.79	10.11

MSA Safety Incorporporated has higher revenue and earnings than SuperCom. SuperCom is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than MSA Safety Incorporporated, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Risk and Volatility

MSA Safety Incorporporated has a beta of 0.97, meaning that its share price is 3% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, SuperCom has a beta of 0.91, meaning that its share price is 9% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

92.5% of MSA Safety Incorporporated shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 47.8% of SuperCom shares are held by institutional investors. 0.7% of MSA Safety Incorporporated shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 18.3% of SuperCom shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares MSA Safety Incorporporated and SuperCom’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
MSA Safety Incorporporated	15.02%	25.24%	12.89%
SuperCom	15.53%	37.99%	18.17%

Summary

MSA Safety Incorporporated beats SuperCom on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide. The company's core product offerings include fixed gas and flame detection systems, such as gas detection monitoring systems, and flame detectors and open-path infrared gas detectors; breathing apparatus products, including self-contained breathing apparatus; hand-held portable gas detection instruments to detect the presence or absence of various gases in the air; industrial head protection products; firefighter helmets and protective apparel; and fall protection equipment, such as confined space equipment, harnesses, lanyards, and self-retracting lifelines, as well as engineered systems. In addition, the company offers air-purifying respirators, eye and face protection products, ballistic helmets, and gas masks. It serves distributors and end-users through indirect and direct sales channels. The company offers its products under the V-Gard, Cairns, and Gallet brand names. MSA Safety Incorporated was founded in 1914 and is based in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania.

About SuperCom

SuperCom Ltd. provides digital identity, Internet of Things and connectivity, and cyber security products and solutions to governments, and private and public organizations worldwide. The company operates in three segments: e-Gov, IoT and Connectivity, and Cyber Security. It offers MAGNA, a platform for national ID registries, e-passports, biometric visas, automated fingerprint identification systems, digitized driver's licenses, and electronic voter registration and election management. The company also provides PureRF, a solution based on RFID tag technology to identify, locate, track, monitor, count, and protect people and objects. Its PureRF suite includes PureRF Tags, Hands-Free Long-Range RFID Asset and Vehicle Tags, PureRF Readers, PureRF Activators, PureRF Initializer, House Arrest Monitoring System, PureRF RF Bracelet, PureCom RF Base Station, GOS Offender Tracking System, PureTrack, PureBeacon, PureMonitor Offender Electronic Monitoring Software, Inmate Monitoring System, DoorGuard, and Personnel Tag. In addition, the company offers domestic violence victim protection systems. Further, it provides connectivity products and solutions comprising AVIDITY WBSac, BOLSTER WBSn, BreezeULTRA P6000, Arena controller, and BreezeNET B; cyber security strategic business unit products and solutions, which include Safend Encryptor, Safend Protector, Safend Inspector, Safend Discoverer, and SafeMobile; and wireless and RFID products include solutions for carrier Wi-Fi, enterprise connectivity, smart city, smart hospitality, connected campuses, and connected events. It sells its systems and products through local representatives, subsidiaries, and distribution channels, as well as independent representatives, resellers, and distributors. The company was formerly known as Vuance Ltd. and changed its name to SuperCom Ltd. in January 2013. SuperCom Ltd. was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel.