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

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the seven ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $200.00.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. DA Davidson dropped their price target on 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. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA opened at $170.12 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $6.57 billion, a PE ratio of 22.99 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $167.08 and a 200-day moving average price of $173.46. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $151.10 and a 12-month high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.68 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of MSA. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $6,953,000 after buying an additional 13,501 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter valued at about $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $646,000 after buying an additional 1,359 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings 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 valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,757 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $462,000 after buying an additional 661 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.