Brokerages Set MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Target Price at $191.80

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $191.80.

MSA has been the topic of several research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $195.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 10th. Finally, DA Davidson cut their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 5th.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.5%

MSA opened at $164.98 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $200.61. The company has a market cap of $6.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.76 and a beta of 0.95. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $157.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $159.27.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $402.60 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 27.65%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th were given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is 29.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total value of $4,839,600.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 35,401 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bayforest Capital Ltd raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% in the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 120.6% during the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 225 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 97.6% in the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% during the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.