Brokerages Set MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA) Price Target at $202.50

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA) have earned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the five brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, two have assigned a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $202.50.

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. DA Davidson initiated coverage on MSA Safety in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $195.00 target price on the stock. B. Riley initiated coverage on MSA Safety in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on MSA Safety in a report on Thursday, December 12th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MSA. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety by 78.4% in the fourth 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. lifted its position in MSA Safety by 120.6% during the fourth quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 225 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in MSA Safety by 97.6% during the fourth quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in 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 buying an additional 209 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its position in MSA Safety by 81.3% during the fourth quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 330 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Price Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $163.13 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.57 and a beta of 1.00. MSA Safety has a twelve month low of $153.79 and a twelve month high of $200.60. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $166.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $171.97.

MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The industrial products company reported $2.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.02. MSA Safety had a return on equity of 29.14% and a net margin of 15.16%. On average, analysts predict that MSA Safety will post 7.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.25%. MSA Safety’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.29%.

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.