MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.02 EPS

MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA) issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The industrial products company reported $2.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.02, Zacks reports. MSA Safety had a return on equity of 29.14% and a net margin of 15.16%.

MSA Safety Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA traded down $2.35 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $163.16. 141,155 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 129,606. 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 capitalization of $6.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.58 and a beta of 1.00. MSA Safety has a 52-week low of $153.79 and a 52-week high of $200.60. The company has a 50-day moving average of $166.73 and a 200-day moving average of $172.04.

MSA Safety Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.25%. MSA Safety’s payout ratio is presently 29.48%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSA has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. DA Davidson initiated coverage on MSA Safety in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $195.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety in a report on Thursday, December 12th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Finally, B. Riley assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. They set a “buy” rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $202.50.

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.