MSA Safety (MSA) vs Polaris (PII)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
MSA Safety (MSA) has outperformed Polaris (PII) over the past year, gaining 4.2% versus a loss of 17.3%. Over five years, MSA leads with a +19.3% price change compared with -59.5% for PII. MSA Safety is the larger company by market cap ($6.81 billion vs $3.00 billion), about 2.3 times the size.
On valuation, Polaris trades at a lower forward P/E (15.5x vs 17.7x for MSA Safety). Polaris offers the higher dividend yield (5.12% vs 1.21%). MSA Safety converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of 14.9% versus -6.5%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | MSA | PII |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $176.41 | $52.75 |
| Market cap | $6.81B | $3.00B |
| 1-day change | -1.60% | -0.08% |
| YTD return | +11.95% | -16.54% |
| 1-year return | +4.18% | -17.26% |
| 5-year return | +19.26% | -59.55% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 21.94 | — |
| Forward P/E | 17.70 | 15.52 |
| EPS (TTM) | $8.04 | $-4.61 |
| Dividend yield | 1.21% | 5.12% |
| Annual dividend | $2.13 | $2.70 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $1.87B | $7.15B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +3.69% | -0.33% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $278.92M | $-465.50M |
| Gross margin | 46.46% | 19.14% |
| Operating margin | 19.83% | -4.88% |
| Net margin | 14.88% | -6.51% |
| 52-week high | $208.92 | $77.98 |
| 52-week low | $151.11 | $47.14 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -15.56% | -32.35% |
| Analyst consensus | none | none |
| Avg. price target upside | +18.55% | +35.49% |
| Average volume | 260.31K | 816.44K |
| Shares outstanding | 38.58M | 56.90M |
| Employees | 5,300 | 14,500 |
| Sector | Health Care | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Industrial Specialties | Industrial Specialties |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- MSA Safety is about 2.3 times larger than Polaris by market value ($6.81B vs $3.00B).
- MSA has outperformed PII by 21.4 percentage points over the past year.
- Polaris offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (5.12% vs 1.21%).
- MSA Safety is more profitable, keeping 14.9 cents of every revenue dollar as net income versus -6.5 cents for Polaris.
- The two companies sit in different sectors: MSA Safety in Health Care and Polaris in Consumer Discretionary.
About MSA Safety
MSA stock →MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect workers and facility infrastructures worldwide. The company offers breathing apparatus products, including self-contained breathing apparatus; firefighter helmets and protective apparel; and fixed gas and flame detection systems, such as fixed gas detection monitoring systems, flame detectors and open-path infrared gas detectors, and refrigerant detection and identification solution, as well as hand-held portable gas detection instruments to detect the presence or absence of various gases in the air.
Health Care · Industrial Specialties · 5,300 employees
About Polaris
PII stock →Polaris Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets powersports vehicles in the United States, Canada, and internationally.
Consumer Discretionary · Industrial Specialties · 14,500 employees
MSA vs PII FAQ
Which is bigger, MSA Safety or Polaris?
MSA Safety (MSA) is larger, with a market capitalization of $6.81B compared with $3.00B for Polaris (PII).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, MSA or PII?
MSA returned +4.18% over the past 12 months, compared with -17.26% for PII (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which pays a higher dividend, MSA Safety or Polaris?
Polaris has the higher yield at 5.12%, compared with 1.21% for MSA Safety.
Are MSA Safety and Polaris in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Industrial Specialties industry within the Health Care sector.