MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $189.20.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. DA Davidson increased their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 16th. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total transaction of $400,213.11. Following the completion of the sale, the president directly owned 9,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,539,659.33. This trade represents a 20.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Bayforest Capital Ltd grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% during the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted 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 valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in 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 valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $168.63 on Wednesday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $127.86 and a 52-week high of $182.85. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $170.60 and a 200-day moving average of $165.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.06 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The company had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.01 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.24%.

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.