DA Davidson Issues Pessimistic Forecast for MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Stock Price

Key Points

• DA Davidson lowered its price target for MSA Safety to $216 from $223 but maintained a Buy rating; the new target implies 24.26% upside from the stock’s current price.
• Analyst sentiment overall is more cautious: MarketBeat reports a consensus Hold rating and an average price target of $209, with two Buy ratings and four Holds.
• MSA Safety’s latest quarterly results showed EPS of $2.09, in line with estimates, while revenue of $536.43 million exceeded expectations and rose 14.5% year over year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) had its target price lowered by equities research analysts at DA Davidson from $223.00 to $216.00 in a research report issued on Monday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the industrial products company's stock. DA Davidson's target price suggests a potential upside of 24.26% from the stock's current price.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $202.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday. B. Riley Financial downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $209.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock traded up $3.69 on Monday, reaching $173.83. 160,086 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 266,212. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $152.86 and a twelve month high of $208.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 2.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.30 and a beta of 0.92. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $181.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $178.05.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 2nd. The industrial products company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.09. The business had revenue of $536.43 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $528.39 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.03% and a return on equity of 24.86%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 14.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.77 EPS. Analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 12,656 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,251,000 after buying an additional 224 shares during the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 10.7% in the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 374,248 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $66,571,000 after buying an additional 36,280 shares during the last quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter worth $1,496,000. Diversified Trust Co lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 46.2% in the third quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 19,663 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,498,000 after acquiring an additional 6,218 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aberdeen Group plc lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 122,882 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $21,858,000 after purchasing an additional 7,465 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated develops and manufactures products that help protect workers and first responders. Its offerings include portable and fixed gas and flame detection systems, respiratory protection equipment, protective helmets and other head and eye protection, and fall protection systems.

The company serves customers in industries such as oil and gas, construction, utilities, mining and manufacturing, as well as fire and emergency services. Its products and safety solutions are sold in markets around the world.

Founded in 1914 and headquartered in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, MSA has a long history in workplace safety.

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