MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Receives Average Recommendation of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Shares have a consensus recommendation of Hold from seven analysts (five hold, two buy) with an average 1‑year target price of $204.50.
• The board authorized a $500 million share repurchase program—about 6.6% of outstanding shares—indicating management may view the stock as undervalued.
• MSA beat quarterly estimates with $2.38 EPS versus $2.26 expected and $510.9M revenue, and is trading around $165.79 (market cap ~$6.43B, P/E ~23.4), below its 12‑month high of $208.92.

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the seven brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $204.50.

MSA has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. DA Davidson lifted their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $205.00 to $195.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $165.79 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.01, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $151.10 and a twelve month high of $208.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.43 billion, a PE ratio of 23.42 and a beta of 0.97. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $176.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $172.08.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The company had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $508.62 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.25 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated's quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the industrial products company to purchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total value of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 3,958 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $634,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.4% in the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $297,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 3,033 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $486,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its position in 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 worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.2% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 382 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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