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

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) has earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the seven brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $204.8333.

MSA has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued 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. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, February 12th.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total value of $223,828.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Sanctuary Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 3,958 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $634,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $297,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 3,033 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $486,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.2% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 382 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:MSA opened at $169.70 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.93 and a beta of 0.97. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $151.10 and a 1 year high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.82. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $174.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $172.23.

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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $463.63 million for 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 firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.68 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.65%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the industrial products company to buy up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.