MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the six ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $211.3333.

MSA has been the subject of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. B. Riley Financial lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target 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. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 29th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Julie Beck bought 448 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the 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 $9,762,352.76. This trade represents a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $6,953,000 after buying an additional 13,501 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter valued at approximately $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $646,000 after buying an additional 1,359 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,757 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $462,000 after acquiring an additional 661 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $188.73 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.47 and a beta of 0.94. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $151.10 and a one year high of $208.92. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $181.55 and its 200-day simple moving average is $176.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 3.24.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $496.27 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 16.13%.The business’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.93 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.87%.

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.