Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.
MSAfetyMSA +0.84%87 Debt-to-Equity is 0.49 as of Mar. 2026, which is 22% below its 10-year median of 0.63. GuruFocus rates MSA with a GF Score™ of 87/100 and a GF Value™ of $187.88 (Fairly Valued). Among 957 Business Services companies, MSAfety ranks worse than 59.35% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for MSAfety's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
MSA'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.42 Med: 0.63 Max: 1.18
Current: 0.49
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of MSAfety was 1.18. The lowest was 0.42. And the median was 0.63.
MSA's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 59.35% of 957
companies
in the Business Services industry
Industry Median: 0.33
vs MSA: 0.49
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
MSAfety Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
MSAfety Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for MSAfety's Debt-to-Equity can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Security & Protection Services subindustry, MSAfety's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
MSAfety Debt-to-Equity vs Business Services Industry
For the Business Services industry and Industrials sector, MSAfety's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where MSAfety's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
MSAfety (MSA) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.49 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on MSAfety and its competitors. This is 22% below median its historical median of 0.63. Over the past decade, MSAfety's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.42 to 1.18. According to the industry distribution chart, MSAfety ranks #568 out of 957 companies in the Business Services industry, placing it in the top 59.4%.
Is MSAfety's Debt-to-Equity too high?
MSAfety's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.49 is 22% below median its 10-year median of 0.63. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.42 to a high of 1.18. The Business Services industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.33. MSAfety's value of 0.49 is 48.5% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, MSAfety ranks #568 out of 957 companies in the Business Services industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, MSAfety has a GF Score™ of 87/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does MSAfety's Debt-to-Equity compare to ADT and BRC?
According to the Business Services industry distribution chart, MSAfety ranks #568 out of 957 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places MSAfety in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.33. MSAfety's value of 0.49 is 48.5% above this benchmark. Historically, MSAfety's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.42 to 1.18 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.63 vs. the industry median of 0.33, MSAfety has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for a Business Services company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Business Services companies is 0.33, based on 957 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. MSAfety's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.49 is 48.5% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on MSAfety and its competitors. For the Business Services industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.33 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. MSAfety's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.49, which is 22% below median its own 10-year median of 0.63. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is MSAfety stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, MSAfety (MSA) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $187.88, compared to a current price of $171.41 — trading 8.8% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.49, which is 22% below median its 10-year median of 0.63 and 48.5% above the Business Services industry median of 0.33. MSAfety's overall GF Score™ is 87/100. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For MSAfety (MSA), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.49 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is MSAfety (MSA) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, MSAfety stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $171.41 is trading 8.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of $187.88.
GuruFocus considers MSAfety to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for MSA:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.49 (22% below median its 10-year median of 0.63)
GF Value™: $187.88 vs. price of $171.41 (8.8% below fair value)
Industry Position: 48.5% above the Business Services median (#568 of 957)
No single metric tells the full story. See the MSA stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
MSA Safety Inc makes safety products that are used to protect workers in the oil and gas and mining industries. The company's product offerings include breathing apparatuses, fall protection, portable gas detection systems, industrial head protection, fire and rescue helmets, and fixed gas and flame detection systems, among others. The end markets for its products include the fire service, contractor, industrial, mining, oil and gas, and utilities industries. The company has organized its business into four geographical operating segments that are aggregated into two reportable segments: Americas and International. The majority of its revenue is generated from the Americas segment, which is comprised of the company's operations in Northern North America and Latin America geographies.
87GF Score
Get the complete analysis for MSA
Debt-to-Equity is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
MSA has been successfully added to your 
