MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday. The stock had previously closed at $186.44, but opened at $173.10. MSA Safety Incorporporated shares last traded at $175.0770, with a volume of 35,717 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on MSA shares. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, October 24th. Finally, B. Riley Financial downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Two equities 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 presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $211.33.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 4.1%

The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $182.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $178.17. The company has a current ratio of 2.65, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.89 and a beta of 0.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The industrial products company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.09. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.84% and a net margin of 15.03%. The company had revenue of $536.43 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $528.39 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.77 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Friday, November 13th will be given a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 13th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.87%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total transaction of $3,879,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 50,324 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,762,352.76. This represents a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Allied Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 74.0% during the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 174 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New Hampshire purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 623.3% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 217 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 187 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE: MSA) develops and manufactures safety products and systems designed to protect workers and facility operations. Its offerings include industrial and firefighter helmets, eye and face protection, hearing protection, respiratory protection, protective clothing, and fall-protection equipment.

The company also provides portable and fixed gas-detection systems, flame detection and suppression technologies, thermal imaging cameras, and related software and services.