MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday morning.

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $186.50.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $174.25 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.58 and a beta of 0.97. The business’s 50 day moving average is $161.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $167.87. The company has a current ratio of 3.08, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $182.85.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $468.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $461.37 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.02% and a return on equity of 25.24%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.83 earnings per share. Analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th were given a $0.5625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $2.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 29.90%.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $53,613.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $713,874. This represents a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% during the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of safety products designed to protect workers in hazardous environments. The company’s offerings span personal protective equipment such as industrial helmets, face shields, protective clothing and fall protection devices, as well as fixed and portable gas detection and monitoring systems. MSA’s products are used in industries including oil and gas, mining, construction, fire service, and chemical processing to guard against risks such as gas leaks, impacts, flame exposure and falls from height.

Key product lines include self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and air-purifying respirators, gas detectors and sensors, head and face protection, and fall arrest systems.