MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Friday.

MSA has been the subject of several other research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. DA Davidson reduced their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, B. Riley reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price target (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $191.80.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE:MSA traded up $0.23 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $167.56. The company's stock had a trading volume of 195,798 shares, compared to its average volume of 187,251. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $200.61. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $160.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $158.53. The company has a current ratio of 2.94, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The stock has a market cap of $6.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.11 and a beta of 0.95.

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. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The business had revenue of $421.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $402.60 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.61 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Covestor Ltd raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $144,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% during the first quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. now owns 23,136 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,394,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 10,851 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,799,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,190 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $363,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during 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.