MSA Safety Incorporporated (MSA) Competitors

Donaldson (NYSE:DCI) and MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) are both mid-cap industrials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their media sentiment, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, dividends, institutional ownership and earnings.

Is DCI or MSA a better dividend stock?

Donaldson pays an annual dividend of $1.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.5%. MSA Safety Incorporporated pays an annual dividend of $2.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.2%. Donaldson pays out 39.3% 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. Donaldson has increased its dividend for 38 consecutive years and MSA Safety Incorporporated has increased its dividend for 56 consecutive years.

Do institutionals & insiders have more ownership in DCI or MSA?

82.8% of Donaldson shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 92.5% of MSA Safety Incorporporated shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.7% of Donaldson shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.7% of MSA Safety Incorporporated shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Does the media prefer DCI or MSA?

In the previous week, Donaldson had 6 more articles in the media than MSA Safety Incorporporated. MarketBeat recorded 8 mentions for Donaldson and 2 mentions for MSA Safety Incorporporated. MSA Safety Incorporporated's average media sentiment score of 1.66 beat Donaldson's score of 0.89 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
Donaldson	5 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
MSA Safety Incorporporated	2 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive

Which has stronger earnings and valuation, DCI or MSA?

Donaldson has higher revenue and earnings than MSA Safety Incorporporated. MSA Safety Incorporporated is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Donaldson, 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
Donaldson	$3.69B	2.59	$367M	$3.05	27.08
MSA Safety Incorporporated	$1.83B	3.72	$284.97M	$7.01	24.79

Do analysts rate DCI or MSA?

Donaldson presently has a consensus target price of $80.33, indicating a potential downside of 2.74%. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a consensus target price of $189.20, indicating a potential upside of 8.87%. Given MSA Safety Incorporporated's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe MSA Safety Incorporporated is more favorable than Donaldson.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Donaldson	1 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	2 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.25
MSA Safety Incorporporated	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.50

Which has more risk and volatility, DCI or MSA?

Donaldson has a beta of 0.99, indicating that its stock price is 1% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, MSA Safety Incorporporated has a beta of 0.99, indicating that its stock price is 1% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Is DCI or MSA more profitable?

MSA Safety Incorporporated has a net margin of 15.15% compared to Donaldson's net margin of 9.94%. Donaldson's return on equity of 29.50% beat MSA Safety Incorporporated's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Donaldson	9.94%	29.50%	14.79%
MSA Safety Incorporporated	15.15%	26.03%	13.16%

Summary

MSA Safety Incorporporated beats Donaldson on 10 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.