MSA Safety: How Are They Dealing With Cost Escalation & Pricing Pressure & Other Key Risks? 

MSA Safety’s recent earnings for the first quarter of 2025 presents a mixed performance narrative, highlighting both opportunities and challenges within the current macroeconomic context. The company reported first-quarter sales growth of 2% on a reported basis and 4% organically. This growth was largely driven by robust demand in the Detection segment, buoyed by both fixed and portable gas detection systems. Despite this positive sales momentum, MSA Safety experienced downward pressure on operating margins, which declined year-over-year. This decline was attributed primarily to foreign exchange headwinds impacting gross margins, although these were partially mitigated by effective cost management and strategic pricing initiatives.