MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Receives Average Rating of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts rate MSA Safety “Hold” on average: Four of six analysts recommend holding the stock, while two recommend buying it. The average 12-month price target is $211.33, above its reported trading price of $180.73.
• Recent results exceeded expectations: MSA reported quarterly EPS of $2.40 versus the $2.14 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $503.33 million and increased 6.2% year over year.
• Shareholders received a quarterly dividend of $0.54, equivalent to $2.16 annually and a 1.2% yield. Meanwhile, two company insiders sold shares, including the chairman’s sale of 20,000 shares.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the six analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $211.33.

MSA has been the subject of several recent research reports. B. Riley Financial downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock 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 research note on Tuesday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of MSA stock opened at $180.73 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 3.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $151.10 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $185.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $174.54. The stock has a market cap of $6.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.48 and a beta of 0.94.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (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 net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.93 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.12 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 469 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 approximately $721,216. This trade represents a 11.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total transaction 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at about $66,878,000. Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1,447.3% during the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 363,177 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $58,159,000 after buying an additional 339,705 shares during the last quarter. Giverny Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,034,000. Brown Advisory Inc. grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 47.8% in the 4th quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 380,320 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $60,904,000 after acquiring an additional 122,926 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. now owns 1,811,635 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $290,115,000 after acquiring an additional 106,349 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 safety equipment and systems designed to protect people in hazardous work environments. Its products include industrial and fixed-gas detection instruments, respiratory protection equipment, hard hats and other head protection, eye and face protection, hearing protection, fall-protection systems, and connected safety technologies.

The company serves customers in industries such as construction, manufacturing, utilities, oil and gas, mining, and emergency response.

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