MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Stock Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $172.52 and traded as high as $176.18. MSA Safety Incorporporated shares last traded at $173.9810, with a volume of 198,236 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $202.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 2.3%

The firm’s fifty day moving average is $186.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $172.52. The firm has a market cap of $6.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.57 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.01 and a quick ratio of 1.82.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

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

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the company’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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at $658,054.32. This represents a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MSA. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $6,953,000 after buying an additional 13,501 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter worth about $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $646,000 after acquiring an additional 1,359 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 37.4% in the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 4,722 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $791,000 after acquiring an additional 1,285 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.5% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 78,622 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $13,172,000 after acquiring an additional 1,921 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.