Brokerages Set MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA) Target Price at $205.00

MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Buy" from the five ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $202.50.

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. B. Riley assumed coverage on MSA Safety in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. They set a "buy" rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. They set a "hold" rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, DA Davidson assumed coverage on MSA Safety in a research note on Thursday. They set a "buy" rating and a $195.00 price target for the company.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of MSA Safety by 486.0% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 252 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP boosted its stake in MSA Safety by 690.5% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 751 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $133,000 after buying an additional 656 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd raised its position in MSA Safety by 985.1% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 803 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $143,000 after purchasing an additional 729 shares during the period. Kowal Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in MSA Safety during the 2nd quarter valued at about $204,000. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety in the second quarter valued at approximately $206,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Stock Up 1.9 %

MSA stock traded up $3.06 during trading on Thursday, hitting $167.52. 309,238 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 157,826. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 2.68 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The stock has a market cap of $6.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.21 and a beta of 0.99. MSA Safety has a 1 year low of $160.02 and a 1 year high of $200.60. The firm's 50 day moving average is $172.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $177.87.

MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The industrial products company reported $1.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.05. MSA Safety had a return on equity of 29.14% and a net margin of 15.16%. The business had revenue of $432.68 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $449.95 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.78 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that MSA Safety will post 7.64 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th were paid a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 15th. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.22%. MSA Safety's payout ratio is currently 29.48%.

MSA Safety Company Profile

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.