MSA Safety Incorporporated (MSA) - What Are Researchers Thinking About This Stock?

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is neutral: Six research firms give MSA Safety an average “Hold” rating, with four holds and two buys. The average 12-month price target is $211.33, above the reported share price of $182.41.
• Quarterly results exceeded expectations: MSA reported adjusted earnings of $2.40 per share versus the $2.14 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $503.33 million.
• Insiders sold shares while institutional ownership remains high: The chairman sold 20,000 shares and the chief accounting officer sold 469 shares; insiders own 0.70% of the company, compared with 92.51% held by institutions and hedge funds. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.54 per share, yielding about 1.2%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of "Hold" from the six research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $211.33.

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. B. Riley Financial lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total value of $3,879,800.00. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares in the company, valued at $9,762,352.76. This trade represents a 28.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Jonathan Buck sold 469 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total value of $89,579.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,776 shares in the company, valued at approximately $721,216. This represents a 11.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 74.0% in the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 174 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Moody National Bank Trust Division grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 7.0% in the 3rd quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 1,228 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $218,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its stake in 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. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 2,004 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $356,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, Net Worth Advisory Group increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 1,783 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $319,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $182.41 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.69 and a beta of 0.92. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $151.10 and a twelve month high of $208.92. 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 business's 50 day simple moving average is $183.73 and its 200-day simple moving average is $175.80.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th were given a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is currently 26.87%.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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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