Stifel Nicolaus Begins Coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

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

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. DA Davidson reduced 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. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $185.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA traded down $0.30 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $174.85. The company's stock had a trading volume of 141,901 shares, compared to its average volume of 188,407. 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 one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $197.02. The firm has a market cap of $6.87 billion, a PE ratio of 22.51 and a beta of 0.95. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $166.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $159.19.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.21%. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 35,401 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,883,844 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $643,825,000 after buying an additional 22,190 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,027,471 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $297,410,000 after buying an additional 27,692 shares in the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.4% in the 1st quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,738,675 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $255,046,000 after buying an additional 384,365 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,131,515 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $187,573,000 after buying an additional 271,264 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 806,438 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $133,718,000 after buying an additional 24,733 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

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.