MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Shares Gap Down - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• MSA Safety shares fell 6.5%, opening at $173.10 versus the prior close of $186.44 and last trading near $175.08.
• Analysts maintain a generally cautious outlook: two rate the stock Buy and four Hold, producing an average “Hold” rating and a $211.33 price target.
• The company matched quarterly EPS estimates at $2.09, exceeded revenue expectations with $536.4 million, and reported 14.5% year-over-year revenue growth. It also declared a $0.54 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 1.2% yield.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) gapped down prior to trading on Tuesday. The stock had previously closed at $186.44, but opened at $173.10. MSA Safety Incorporporated shares last traded at $175.0770, with a volume of 35,717 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, B. Riley Financial downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $211.33.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 6.5%

The company has a current ratio of 3.24, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.70 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $182.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $178.23.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 2nd. The industrial products company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.09. The firm had revenue of $536.43 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $528.39 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.13%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.77 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 13th will be given a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is currently 26.87%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total transaction of $3,879,800.00. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 50,324 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,762,352.76. This represents a 28.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Giverny Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,034,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,611,000. Madison Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC now owns 588,568 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $96,496,000 after purchasing an additional 20,324 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2,490.2% during the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 89,517 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $15,628,000 after purchasing an additional 86,061 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.3% during the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 89,832 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $15,683,000 after purchasing an additional 7,665 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated NYSE: MSA develops and manufactures safety products and systems designed to protect workers and facility operations. Its offerings include industrial and firefighter helmets, eye and face protection, hearing protection, respiratory protection, protective clothing, and fall-protection equipment.

The company also provides portable and fixed gas-detection systems, flame detection and suppression technologies, thermal imaging cameras, and related software and services.

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