MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the seven analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $200.00.

Several equities analysts have commented on MSA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated 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. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during 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. eCIO Inc. bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised 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 acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter worth about $43,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $171.50 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 3.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $151.10 and a twelve month high of $208.92. The company has a market cap of $6.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.18 and a beta of 0.97. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $169.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $172.99.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The business had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.68 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.54 dividend. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 29.19%.

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

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.