MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the five research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $189.20.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. DA Davidson raised their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price objective on the stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total value of $400,213.11. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 9,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,539,659.33. This represents a 20.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Bayforest Capital Ltd lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% during the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during 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 last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 397.7% during the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 219 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.3%

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $169.76 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $172.96 and a 200-day moving average of $162.69. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $183.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 3.11 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The company has a market cap of $6.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.22 and a beta of 0.95.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The business had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $446.46 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.01 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 30.24%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide.