MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Shares Cross Above 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $172.52 and traded as high as $176.18. MSA Safety Incorporporated shares last traded at $173.9810, with a volume of 198,236 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MSA. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Finally, DA Davidson increased their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $202.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a current ratio of 3.01. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $186.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $172.58. The company has a market capitalization of $6.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.86 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 14.88% and a return on equity of 24.48%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.25 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.94%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the industrial products company to purchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. eCIO Inc. bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the third quarter worth $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the second 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 period. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 397.7% in the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 219 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of safety products designed to protect workers in hazardous environments. The company’s offerings span personal protective equipment such as industrial helmets, face shields, protective clothing and fall protection devices, as well as fixed and portable gas detection and monitoring systems. MSA’s products are used in industries including oil and gas, mining, construction, fire service, and chemical processing to guard against risks such as gas leaks, impacts, flame exposure and falls from height.

Key product lines include self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and air-purifying respirators, gas detectors and sensors, head and face protection, and fall arrest systems.