MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Receives $189.20 Average Target Price from Brokerages

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the six analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $202.1667.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. DA Davidson boosted their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 1.4%

MSA stock opened at $194.21 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $7.53 billion, a PE ratio of 27.43 and a beta of 0.98. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $208.92. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $178.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $170.67. The company has a current ratio of 3.01, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 14.88% and a return on equity of 24.48%. The firm had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.62 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.25 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is 29.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total value of $223,828.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at approximately $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,792,712 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $607,365,000 after purchasing an additional 82,305 shares during the period. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. now owns 1,811,635 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $290,115,000 after buying an additional 106,349 shares in the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.0% during the fourth quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 899,030 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $143,971,000 after acquiring an additional 74,410 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 764,663 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $122,460,000 after acquiring an additional 9,915 shares during the period. Finally, M&G PLC grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. M&G PLC now owns 728,727 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $116,596,000 after purchasing an additional 4,899 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.