MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Stock Bumped Up to “Buy” by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $180.66 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 3.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $151.10 and a 12-month high of $208.92. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $185.90 and a 200-day moving average of $174.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.47 and a beta of 0.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 16.13%. The firm had revenue of $503.33 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $496.27 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.93 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.12 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th were issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.87%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Jonathan Buck sold 469 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total value of $89,579.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,776 shares in the company, valued at $721,216. This trade represents a 11.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total value of $3,879,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,762,352.76. This trade represents a 28.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Diversified Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,599,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 34.8% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,515 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $269,000 after acquiring an additional 391 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 342.9% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 908 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $162,000 after acquiring an additional 703 shares during the last quarter. Steph & Co. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 23.2% in the 3rd quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 971 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $173,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the period. Finally, Moody National Bank Trust Division increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 7.0% in the 3rd quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 1,228 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $218,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated develops and manufactures safety products and systems designed to protect workers and facility occupants in hazardous environments. Its solutions are used across industries including construction, manufacturing, utilities, oil and gas, mining, emergency services, and public safety.

The company’s product portfolio includes industrial head, face, eye, and hearing protection; fire and rescue helmets and protective equipment; respiratory protection; portable and fixed gas-detection instruments; fall-protection systems; thermal-imaging cameras; and related software and connected safety technologies.