MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Earns Hold Rating from Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus

Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) in a research report report published on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm issued a hold rating and a $182.00 price objective on the industrial products company's stock.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. B. Riley reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price target (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th. Finally, DA Davidson reduced their target price 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. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $185.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of MSA stock traded up $1.02 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $171.69. The company's stock had a trading volume of 170,020 shares, compared to its average volume of 188,240. The company has a market cap of $6.75 billion, a PE ratio of 23.68 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $165.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $159.11. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $200.60.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last issued its 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. The business had revenue of $421.34 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $402.60 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.61 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.23%. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is currently 29.24%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction 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 SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.8% in the second quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 11,765 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,971,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Argent Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter worth $17,181,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 48.0% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 398 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 452.0% in the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,551 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $260,000 after acquiring an additional 1,270 shares during the period. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 115.4% during the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 293 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

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.