MSA Safety Incorporporated (MSA) Competitors

Graco (NYSE:GGG) and MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) are both industrials companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, valuation, dividends, media sentiment and risk.

Do institutionals & insiders believe in GGG or MSA?

93.9% of Graco shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 92.5% of MSA Safety Incorporporated shares are held by institutional investors. 2.2% of Graco shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.7% of MSA Safety Incorporporated shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Does the media refer more to GGG or MSA?

In the previous week, Graco had 5 more articles in the media than MSA Safety Incorporporated. MarketBeat recorded 13 mentions for Graco and 8 mentions for MSA Safety Incorporporated. MSA Safety Incorporporated's average media sentiment score of 1.73 beat Graco's score of 1.49 indicating that MSA Safety Incorporporated is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Graco	10 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
MSA Safety Incorporporated	6 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive

Is GGG or MSA a better dividend stock?

Graco pays an annual dividend of $1.10 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated pays an annual dividend of $2.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. Graco pays out 39.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. MSA Safety Incorporporated pays out 30.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Graco has increased its dividend for 29 consecutive years and MSA Safety Incorporporated has increased its dividend for 56 consecutive years.

Is GGG or MSA more profitable?

Graco has a net margin of 22.26% compared to MSA Safety Incorporporated's net margin of 15.15%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's return on equity of 26.03% beat Graco's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Graco	22.26%	19.05%	15.77%
MSA Safety Incorporporated	15.15%	26.03%	13.16%

Which has stronger earnings & valuation, GGG or MSA?

Graco has higher revenue and earnings than MSA Safety Incorporporated. MSA Safety Incorporporated is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Graco, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Graco	$2.17B	6.48	$486.08M	$2.82	30.06
MSA Safety Incorporporated	$1.81B	3.66	$284.97M	$7.01	24.11

Which has more risk and volatility, GGG or MSA?

Graco has a beta of 1.03, meaning that its share price is 3% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, MSA Safety Incorporporated has a beta of 0.96, meaning that its share price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Do analysts prefer GGG or MSA?

Graco currently has a consensus target price of $94.50, indicating a potential upside of 11.48%. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a consensus target price of $189.20, indicating a potential upside of 11.95%. Given MSA Safety Incorporporated's higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe MSA Safety Incorporporated is more favorable than Graco.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Graco	0 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.60
MSA Safety Incorporporated	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	2 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.40

Summary

Graco beats MSA Safety Incorporporated on 13 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.