MSA Safety Incorporporated (MSA) Competitors

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

Do institutionals & insiders believe in MSA or GGG?

92.5% of MSA Safety Incorporporated shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 93.9% of Graco shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.7% of MSA Safety Incorporporated shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.2% of Graco shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers 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 29.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Graco pays out 38.9% 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 & volatility, MSA or GGG?

MSA Safety Incorporporated has a beta of 0.95, indicating that its share price is 5% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Graco has a beta of 1.06, indicating that its share price is 6% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Is MSA or GGG more profitable?

Graco has a net margin of 22.70% compared to MSA Safety Incorporporated's net margin of 15.77%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's return on equity of 27.65% beat Graco's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
MSA Safety Incorporporated	15.77%	27.65%	13.77%
Graco	22.70%	19.42%	16.17%

Does the media refer more to MSA or GGG?

In the previous week, Graco had 1 more articles in the media than MSA Safety Incorporporated. MarketBeat recorded 9 mentions for Graco and 8 mentions for MSA Safety Incorporporated. MSA Safety Incorporporated's average media sentiment score of 1.72 beat Graco's score of 1.03 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	7 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive
Graco	8 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Which has stronger valuation and earnings, 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	$1.81B	3.76	$284.97M	$7.25	23.84
Graco	$2.11B	6.93	$486.08M	$2.83	30.97

Do analysts rate MSA or GGG?

MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has a consensus price target of $191.80, indicating a potential upside of 10.95%. Graco has a consensus price target of $93.00, indicating a potential upside of 6.12%. Given MSA Safety Incorporporated's stronger consensus rating and 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)	2 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.83
Graco	0 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.60

Summary

Graco beats MSA Safety Incorporporated on 11 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.