MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA) Reaches New 52-Week Low – What’s Next?

MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA) shares hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $148.38 and last traded at $148.35, with a volume of 55344 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $150.56.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MSA shares. DA Davidson started coverage on MSA Safety in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $195.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on MSA Safety in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their target price on 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 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, MSA Safety presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $197.00.

MSA Safety Stock Down 0.4 %

The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $160.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $167.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 2.79 and a quick ratio of 1.76. The stock has a market cap of $5.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.79 and a beta of 0.99.

MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The industrial products company reported $2.25 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th were given a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. MSA Safety’s dividend payout ratio is currently 28.29%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 717 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.00, for a total transaction of $114,003.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 3,673 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $584,007. This trade represents a 16.33 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 6.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MSA. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety by 3.4% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 9,245 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,640,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety during the third quarter worth about $260,000. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety by 10.6% during the third quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 126,082 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $22,359,000 after buying an additional 12,039 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety by 6.9% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 418,237 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $74,170,000 after buying an additional 26,835 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety by 67.6% during the third quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 23,385 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,147,000 after buying an additional 9,433 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.