MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Cut to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA – Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the company. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, B. Riley Financial cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $211.33.

Read Our Latest Analysis on MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $182.83 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $183.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $178.05. The firm has a market cap of $7.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.92 and a beta of 0.92. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $151.10 and a 1 year high of $208.92. 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 (NYSE:MSA – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The business had revenue of $503.33 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $496.27 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.93 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th were given a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.87%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares in the company, valued at $9,762,352.76. The trade was a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Jonathan Buck sold 469 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated 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 directly owned 3,776 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $721,216. The trade was a 11.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 74.0% in the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 174 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 7.0% during the third quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 1,228 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $218,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.5% during the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 2,004 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $356,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Net Worth Advisory Group increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5.3% during the third quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 1,783 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $319,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

Further Reading

Analyst Recommendations for MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

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