Brokerages Set MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Price Target at $189.20

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the six ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $202.1667.

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Wall Street Zen cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price for the company.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of MSA stock opened at $197.02 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $7.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.83 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 3.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $178.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $170.60.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.94%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its position in 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 buying an additional 126 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position 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 worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other 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.