MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

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

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the company. DA Davidson cut their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Finally, B. Riley restated a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 target price (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $191.80.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of MSA stock traded down $2.06 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $167.10. The company's stock had a trading volume of 377,222 shares, compared to its average volume of 187,729. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.05 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $200.61. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $159.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $158.91. The company has a current ratio of 2.94, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $402.60 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.61 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was 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 now owns 35,401 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bayforest Capital Ltd raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% during the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 120.6% during the fourth quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 225 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in 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. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% during the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 81.3% during the fourth quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 330 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

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.