Subscription Pivot and SCBA Replacement Cycle Set to Drive MSA Safety’s (MSA) Margin Expansion

Heartland Advisors has included MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA) in its second-quarter 2026 investor letter. The company manufactures firefighting equipment, gas detectors, and industrial safety gear. Despite choppy fundamentals recently, MSA's Fire Service segment sales were negatively impacted by Federal Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) and a government shutdown in Q4 2025.

Management has been cautious with pricing in a volatile inflationary environment, opting to implement permanent pricing actions through distribution channels. Consequently, 2025 sales grew less than 4%, but operating profit margins declined by 0.8%. However, Heartland Advisors anticipates MSA's profit margins to expand in the future due to its two highest-margin products: portable gas detectors and firefighter self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).