MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Releases Earnings Results, Meets Expectations

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday. The industrial products company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09, Zacks reports. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 16.13%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.77 earnings per share.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA traded up $7.49 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $186.06. The stock had a trading volume of 341,179 shares, compared to its average volume of 261,324. The company has a market cap of $7.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.14 and a beta of 0.92. The business has a fifty day moving average of $182.77 and a 200 day moving average of $178.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 3.24. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $151.10 and a 1 year high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Friday, November 13th will be given a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 13th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 26.87%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on MSA shares. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. B. Riley Financial cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $211.33.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total transaction of $3,879,800.00. Following the transaction, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,762,352.76. This trade represents a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Jonathan Buck sold 469 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total transaction of $89,579.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,776 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $721,216. The trade was a 11.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE: MSA) develops and manufactures safety products and systems designed to protect workers and facility operations. Its offerings include industrial and firefighter helmets, eye and face protection, hearing protection, respiratory protection, protective clothing, and fall-protection equipment.

The company also provides portable and fixed gas-detection systems, flame detection and suppression technologies, thermal imaging cameras, and related software and services.