MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Sets New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $183.00 and last traded at $181.91, with a volume of 11934 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $180.12.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MSA. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $186.50.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.7%

The business’s 50 day moving average price is $162.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $168.01. The company has a current ratio of 3.08, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The company has a market capitalization of $7.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.58 and a beta of 0.97.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $468.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $461.37 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.02% and a return on equity of 25.24%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.83 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were paid a $0.5625 dividend. This represents a $2.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $53,613.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $713,874. The trade was a 6.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the third 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 during the last quarter. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the 2nd 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 during the period. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 397.7% in the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 219 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.