MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Receives Average Rating of "Hold" from Brokerages

Key Points

• MSA Safety has a consensus “Hold” rating from six covering brokerages, with four holds and two buys. The average 12-month price target is approximately $211.33, above the stock’s reported $193.10 opening price.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $2.40 versus the $2.14 consensus and revenue of $503.33 million versus $496.27 million. Revenue increased 6.2% year over year.
• MSA declared a quarterly dividend of $0.54 per share, equivalent to an annualized $2.16 payout and a 1.1% yield. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company, while recent insider activity included a CFO purchase and a chief accounting officer sale.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Hold" by the six research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $211.3333.

MSA has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Finally, B. Riley Financial cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a report on Monday, August 3rd.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.6%

MSA opened at $193.10 on Tuesday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $151.10 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.45 billion, a PE ratio of 24.02 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.24 and a quick ratio of 2.02. The company's 50-day moving average is $171.34 and its 200 day moving average is $175.67.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $496.27 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 16.13%.MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.93 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is 26.87%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the purchase, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 469 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total value of $89,579.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,776 shares in the company, valued at approximately $721,216. This represents a 11.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of MSA Safety Incorporporated

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 126 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Allied Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter worth about $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at about $57,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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