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

Key Points

• "Moderate Buy" consensus from six analysts (three buy, three hold) with an average one-year price target of $202.17.
• MSA beat the quarter (EPS $2.38 vs. $2.26; revenue $510.9M vs. $508.6M) and the Board approved a $500 million share buyback (~6.6% of shares), signaling management confidence.
• Insiders own 0.70% of shares but CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares on Feb 17; institutional investors hold 92.51% of the stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $202.1667.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. B. Riley Financial restated a "buy" rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares of the company's stock, valued at $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,792,712 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $607,365,000 after acquiring an additional 82,305 shares during the period. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. now owns 1,811,635 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $290,115,000 after purchasing an additional 106,349 shares in the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.0% in the 4th quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 899,030 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $143,971,000 after purchasing an additional 74,410 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 764,663 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $122,460,000 after purchasing an additional 9,915 shares during the period. Finally, M&G PLC boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. M&G PLC now owns 728,727 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $116,596,000 after purchasing an additional 4,899 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of MSA stock opened at $176.85 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.86 billion, a PE ratio of 24.98 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a current ratio of 3.01. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $186.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $172.38.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The company's revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.25 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback 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 purchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.94%.

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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