Wall Street Zen Downgrades MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) to Hold

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Friday.

MSA has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley restated a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price target (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $185.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA traded down $0.30 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $174.85. 141,901 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 188,407. The firm has a market cap of $6.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.12 and a beta of 0.95. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $166.23 and a 200-day simple moving average of $159.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 2.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $127.86 and a 1-year high of $197.02.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 27.65%. The business had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $402.60 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.61 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total value of $4,839,600.00. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bayforest Capital Ltd boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% during the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 115.4% in the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 293 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $100,000 after buying an additional 135 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, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide.