MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Wall Street Zen

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Saturday.

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $186.50.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $160.15 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $161.28 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $167.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.59 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $182.85. The company has a current ratio of 3.08, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.04. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.02% and a return on equity of 25.24%. The business had revenue of $468.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $461.37 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.83 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total value of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $713,874. The trade was a 6.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted 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 acquiring an additional 126 shares during the period. Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% during the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.