MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Receives $200.00 Average Price Target from Analysts

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the seven analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $200.00.

MSA has been the subject of several recent research reports. B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. eCIO Inc. purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the second 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, Picton Mahoney Asset Management purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the third quarter valued at $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $162.94 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $169.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $173.13. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $151.10 and a 1 year high of $208.92. The stock has a market cap of $6.29 billion, a PE ratio of 22.02 and a beta of 0.96.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the industrial products company to buy up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

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.