MSA Safety Incorporporated (MSA) Competitors

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

Which has better earnings & valuation, MSA or GGG?

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
MSA Safety Incorporporated	$1.83B	3.65	$284.97M	$7.01	24.31
Graco	$2.11B	6.80	$486.08M	$2.82	30.77

Does the media refer more to MSA or GGG?

In the previous week, Graco had 10 more articles in the media than MSA Safety Incorporporated. MarketBeat recorded 24 mentions for Graco and 14 mentions for MSA Safety Incorporporated. MSA Safety Incorporporated's average media sentiment score of 1.79 beat Graco's score of 1.52 indicating that MSA Safety Incorporporated is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
MSA Safety Incorporporated	13 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive
Graco	21 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive

Is MSA or GGG 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
MSA Safety Incorporporated	15.15%	26.03%	13.16%
Graco	22.26%	19.05%	15.77%

Do analysts recommend MSA or GGG?

MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus target price of $189.20, indicating a potential upside of 11.05%. Graco has a consensus target price of $94.50, indicating a potential upside of 8.91%. Given MSA Safety Incorporporated's higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe MSA Safety Incorporporated is more favorable than Graco.

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

Do insiders and institutionals hold more shares of MSA or GGG?

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

Is MSA or GGG a better dividend stock?

MSA Safety Incorporporated pays an annual dividend of $2.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.2%. Graco pays an annual dividend of $1.10 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated pays out 30.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Graco pays out 39.0% 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. MSA Safety Incorporporated has raised its dividend for 56 consecutive years and Graco has raised its dividend for 29 consecutive years.

Which has more risk and volatility, MSA or GGG?

MSA Safety Incorporporated has a beta of 0.96, meaning that its share price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Graco has a beta of 1.04, meaning that its share price is 4% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

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