MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Buy”

Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Saturday.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. DA Davidson decreased their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.60.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $174.90 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $151.10 and a one year high of $208.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.64 and a beta of 0.95. The company’s fifty day moving average is $167.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $174.85.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The business’s revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.68 EPS. Analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of MSA Safety Incorporporated

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. eCIO Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Allied Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased 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 purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.