MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Stock Price Breaks Above 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)’s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $174.63 and traded as high as $184.33. MSA Safety Incorporporated shares last traded at $182.4820, with a volume of 213,426 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on MSA shares. DA Davidson set a $223.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. B. Riley Financial cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $211.33.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.2%

The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $184.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $174.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 3.24. The firm has a market cap of $7.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.70 and a beta of 0.94.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 16.13%.The business had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $496.27 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.93 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th were paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 26.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Jonathan Buck sold 469 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total transaction of $89,579.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,776 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $721,216. This represents a 11.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total transaction of $3,879,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman owned 50,324 shares in the company, valued at $9,762,352.76. This represents a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Security National Bank of SO Dak bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter valued at $96,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,611,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth about $66,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2,222.8% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,835 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $320,000 after acquiring an additional 1,756 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 623.3% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 217 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops and manufactures safety equipment and systems designed to protect people in hazardous work environments. Its products include industrial and fixed-gas detection instruments, respiratory protection equipment, hard hats and other head protection, eye and face protection, hearing protection, fall-protection systems, and connected safety technologies.

The company serves customers in industries such as construction, manufacturing, utilities, oil and gas, mining, and emergency response.