MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Receives $186.50 Average Price Target from Brokerages

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) has been given an average rating of “Hold” by the five analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $186.50.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Weiss Ratings downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of MSA stock opened at $180.07 on Friday. 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 $185.54. The stock has a market cap of $7.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.40 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $166.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $168.57.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company 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 $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.90%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 $713,874. This trade represents a 6.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. eCIO Inc. bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. 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.