Is It Too Late To Consider Buying MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA)?

While MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA) might not be the most widely known stock at the moment, it saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NYSE, rising to highs of US$185 and falling to the lows of US$148. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether MSA Safety's current trading price of US$159 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at MSA Safety’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

View our latest analysis for MSA Safety

Is MSA Safety Still Cheap?

According to my valuation model, MSA Safety seems to be fairly priced at around 19% below my intrinsic value, which means if you buy MSA Safety today, you’d be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe the company’s true value is $195.41, then there’s not much of an upside to gain from mispricing. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that MSA Safety’s share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us an opportunity to buy later on. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

Can we expect growth from MSA Safety?

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that it’s the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. With profit expected to more than double in the upcoming, the future appears to be extremely bright for MSA Safety. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has already priced in MSA’s positive outlook, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we haven’t considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuates below the true value?

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on MSA, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for the company, which means it’s worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

If you'd like to know more about MSA Safety as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. Our analysis shows 3 warning signs for MSA Safety (1 is significant!) and we strongly recommend you look at them before investing.

If you are no longer interested in MSA Safety, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.