MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA) Sets New 1-Year Low – Time to Sell?

MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA)’s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $153.25 and last traded at $154.12, with a volume of 9348 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $155.47.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MSA. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on MSA Safety in a report on Thursday, December 12th. They set a “hold” rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. DA Davidson began coverage on shares of MSA Safety in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $195.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of MSA Safety from $190.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, MSA Safety presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $197.00.

MSA Safety Trading Down 2.2 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.76 and a current ratio of 2.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.08 and a beta of 0.99. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $162.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $169.43.

MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The industrial products company reported $2.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.02. MSA Safety had a return on equity of 28.64% and a net margin of 15.76%. On average, equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th were issued a dividend of $0.51 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.34%. MSA Safety’s dividend payout ratio is currently 28.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 717 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $159.00, for a total value of $114,003.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 3,673 shares in the company, valued at approximately $584,007. This represents a 16.33 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 6.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in MSA Safety by 78.4% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 182 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety by 120.6% in the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 225 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in MSA Safety by 97.6% during the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in MSA Safety by 81.3% during the 4th quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 330 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hilltop National Bank raised its position in MSA Safety by 23.5% in the 4th quarter. Hilltop National Bank now owns 520 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $86,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

About MSA Safety

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.