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

Key Points

• MSA Safety Incorporated received a consensus “Hold” rating from seven analysts, with an average 1-year price target of $200. Recent reports were mixed, including a lowered target from Jefferies and an upgrade from Wall Street Zen.
• The company’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of $1.99 versus the $1.85 estimate and revenue of $463.63 million, up 10% year over year. It also posted strong profitability metrics, including a 24.54% return on equity.
• MSA increased its quarterly dividend to $0.54 per share and authorized a $500 million share buyback, signaling confidence in the stock. Insider and institutional activity also showed continued buying interest, including a recent purchase by the CFO.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Hold" by the seven research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $200.00.

MSA has been the subject of several recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed 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. Weiss Ratings cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, DA Davidson cut their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 11th.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE MSA opened at $164.32 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $6.34 billion, a PE ratio of 22.21 and a beta of 0.96. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $167.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $173.44. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $151.10 and a 1-year high of $208.92. 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 released its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.68 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the industrial products company to reacquire up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.54 dividend. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is 29.19%.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 14.6% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 144,377 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $23,671,000 after acquiring an additional 18,351 shares during the last quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter worth $754,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 10.2% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 17,257 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,827,000 after acquiring an additional 1,600 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter worth $623,000. Finally, Amundi increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 57.5% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 2,915 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $478,000 after acquiring an additional 1,064 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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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