MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the six ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $202.1667.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MSA. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $173.20 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $186.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $172.46. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $208.92. The company has a current ratio of 3.01, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.46 and a beta of 0.96.

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

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.94%.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently 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.