Jefferies Financial Group Reiterates “Hold” Rating for MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reiterated by Jefferies Financial Group in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $180.00 price objective on the industrial products company’s stock, down from their previous price objective of $200.00. Jefferies Financial Group’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 11.64% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on MSA. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $205.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. DA Davidson increased their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $203.14.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA stock traded up $0.54 on Tuesday, reaching $161.23. 202,898 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 216,915. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a current ratio of 3.01. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $185.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $172.48. The company has a market cap of $6.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.80 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $508.62 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.25 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 approximately $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of MSA Safety Incorporporated

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MidFirst Bank purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter worth $481,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 2,409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $386,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 59,849 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $9,584,000 after purchasing an additional 5,531 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLC increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 56.3% during the fourth quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 47,321 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $7,578,000 after purchasing an additional 17,049 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter worth about $4,165,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.