DA Davidson Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Stock

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) had its price objective hoisted by equities research analysts at DA Davidson from $186.00 to $235.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the industrial products company’s stock. DA Davidson’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 18.90% from the stock’s current price.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $202.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $197.64 on Wednesday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $127.86 and a 12 month high of $208.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 3.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market cap of $7.66 billion, a PE ratio of 27.92 and a beta of 0.98. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $177.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $170.53.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The firm had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.62 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.25 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 12.0% in the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 2,409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $386,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 10.2% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 59,849 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $9,584,000 after buying an additional 5,531 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 56.3% during the fourth quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 47,321 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $7,578,000 after buying an additional 17,049 shares during the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,165,000. Finally, First Manhattan CO. LLC. boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 10.0% in the fourth quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 57,425 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $9,196,000 after acquiring an additional 5,200 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

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.