MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA – Get Free Report) and ReWalk Robotics (NASDAQ:LFWD – Get Free Report) are both industrial products companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability, valuation and risk.
Risk and Volatility
MSA Safety has a beta of 0.99, suggesting that its share price is 1% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ReWalk Robotics has a beta of 2.02, suggesting that its share price is 102% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
92.5% of MSA Safety shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 26.8% of ReWalk Robotics shares are owned by institutional investors. 6.2% of MSA Safety shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.1% of ReWalk Robotics shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Profitability
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| MSA Safety | 14.97% | 30.64% | 13.43% |
| ReWalk Robotics | -102.03% | -41.89% | -30.83% |
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for MSA Safety and ReWalk Robotics, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| MSA Safety | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3.50 |
| ReWalk Robotics | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3.50 |
MSA Safety presently has a consensus target price of $215.00, indicating a potential upside of 18.88%. ReWalk Robotics has a consensus target price of $13.00, indicating a potential upside of 316.67%. Given ReWalk Robotics’ higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe ReWalk Robotics is more favorable than MSA Safety.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares MSA Safety and ReWalk Robotics”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| MSA Safety | $1.82 billion | 3.92 | $58.58 million | $6.75 | 26.79 |
| ReWalk Robotics | $23.28 million | 1.15 | -$22.13 million | ($3.11) | -1.00 |
MSA Safety has higher revenue and earnings than ReWalk Robotics. ReWalk Robotics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than MSA Safety, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
MSA Safety beats ReWalk Robotics on 10 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.
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. The company's core product offerings include fixed gas and flame detection systems, such as gas detection monitoring systems, and flame detectors and open-path infrared gas detectors; breathing apparatus products, including self-contained breathing apparatus; hand-held portable gas detection instruments to detect the presence or absence of various gases in the air; industrial head protection products; firefighter helmets and protective apparel; and fall protection equipment, such as confined space equipment, harnesses, lanyards, and self-retracting lifelines, as well as engineered systems. In addition, the company offers air-purifying respirators, eye and face protection products, ballistic helmets, and gas masks. It serves distributors and end-users through indirect and direct sales channels. The company offers its products under the V-Gard, Cairns, and Gallet brand names. MSA Safety Incorporated was founded in 1914 and is based in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania.
About ReWalk Robotics
ReWalk Robotics Ltd., a medical device company, designs, develops, and commercializes technologies that enable mobility and wellness in rehabilitation and daily life for individuals with physical and neurological conditions in the United States, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, and internationally. It offers ReWalk personal exoskeleton and rehabilitation exoskeleton devices; ReStore, a soft exo-suit intended for use in the rehabilitation of individuals with lower limb disability due to stroke; AlterG Anti-Gravity System for use in physical and neurological rehabilitation and athletic training; MyoCycle devices; and ReBoot, a personal soft exo-suit for home and community use by individuals post-stroke. The company markets and sells its products directly to institutions and individuals, as well as through third-party distributors. The company was formerly known as Argo Medical Technologies Ltd. ReWalk Robotics Ltd. was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in Yokneam Illit, Israel.
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