MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• MSA Safety has a consensus analyst rating of "Hold", based on coverage from six analysts. The average 12-month price target is $203.60.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, with EPS of $1.99 versus estimates of $1.85, and revenue of $463.63 million, up 10% year over year.
• MSA also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.54 per share, while CFO Julie A. Beck disclosed a recent insider purchase of 448 shares.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Hold" by the six analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $203.60.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on MSA shares. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. DA Davidson dropped their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MSA opened at $173.11 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $151.10 and a 12 month high of $208.92. The stock has a market cap of $6.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.39 and a beta of 0.95. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $167.25 and its 200 day moving average price is $174.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The firm had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.68 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,792,712 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $607,365,000 after acquiring an additional 82,305 shares in the last quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. now owns 1,811,635 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $290,115,000 after purchasing an additional 106,349 shares during the period. Cooke & Bieler LP raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.0% during the fourth quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 899,030 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $143,971,000 after purchasing an additional 74,410 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 764,663 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $122,460,000 after purchasing an additional 9,915 shares during the last quarter. Finally, M&G PLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. M&G PLC now owns 728,727 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $116,596,000 after purchasing an additional 4,899 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of safety products designed to protect workers in hazardous environments. The company's offerings span personal protective equipment such as industrial helmets, face shields, protective clothing and fall protection devices, as well as fixed and portable gas detection and monitoring systems. MSA's products are used in industries including oil and gas, mining, construction, fire service, and chemical processing to guard against risks such as gas leaks, impacts, flame exposure and falls from height.

Key product lines include self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and air-purifying respirators, gas detectors and sensors, head and face protection, and fall arrest systems.

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