MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Cut to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on MSA. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. B. Riley Financial downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $211.33.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA stock opened at $186.41 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $151.10 and a one year high of $208.92. The firm has a market cap of $7.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.19 and a beta of 0.94. 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 50-day simple moving average of $179.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $176.26.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $503.33 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $496.27 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.93 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. The trade was a 13.27% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total transaction of $3,879,800.00. Following the sale, the chairman owned 50,324 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,762,352.76. The trade was a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its position in 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 worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Allied Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position 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 worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Nykredit A S purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter valued at about $56,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

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.