MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Sets New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $185.24 and last traded at $182.8470, with a volume of 37893 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $180.86.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $186.50.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 1.7%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 3.08 and a quick ratio of 1.86. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $164.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is $168.28. The stock has a market cap of $7.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.94 and a beta of 0.97.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s 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 dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total value of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $713,874. This represents a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Southernsun Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter valued at $23,422,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.8% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 449,136 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $75,244,000 after purchasing an additional 28,481 shares during the period. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth approximately $27,988,000. TD Asset Management Inc grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 37.6% during the second quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 13,112 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,197,000 after purchasing an additional 3,582 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bahl & Gaynor Inc. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 17.2% in the 2nd quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 41,933 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $7,025,000 after buying an additional 6,169 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by 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.