MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Receives $203.60 Average Target Price from Analysts

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the six ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $203.60.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. DA Davidson cut their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $169.62 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $151.10 and a 52-week high of $208.92. The stock has a market cap of $6.55 billion, a PE ratio of 22.92 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $167.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $174.68.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The firm had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.68 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Allied Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

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.