MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the six research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $203.60.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $173.11 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $167.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $174.51. The company has a market cap of $6.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.39 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $151.10 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released 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. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The business had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.68 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.19%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sanctuary Advisors LLC lifted its position in 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 worth $634,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $297,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 3,033 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $486,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.2% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 382 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $66,000 after acquiring an additional 84 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.