MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Cut to "Hold" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety from “Buy” to “Hold.” The broader analyst consensus is also “Hold,” with an average price target of $211.33.
• MSA Safety reported a quarterly earnings beat, posting $2.40 in EPS versus the $2.14 estimate, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $503.33 million.
• The stock opened at $182.41, below its analyst consensus target, while company insiders recently sold shares, including a $3.88 million sale by Chairman Nishan Vartanian.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on MSA. Robert W. Baird boosted 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 report on Monday, August 3rd. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. 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 report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, B. Riley Financial lowered 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 assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $211.33.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $182.41 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $183.73 and a 200 day moving average of $175.80. The company has a current ratio of 3.24, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.18 and a beta of 0.92. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $151.10 and a 12-month high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The business had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $496.27 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.93 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan Buck sold 469 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total transaction of $89,579.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,776 shares of the company's stock, valued at $721,216. This trade represents a 11.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated 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 sale, the chairman owned 50,324 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,762,352.76. The trade was a 28.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the first 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 last quarter. Allied Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its holdings in shares of 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 stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 623.3% during 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 in the last quarter. 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.

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