Westwood Holdings Group Inc. Makes New $27.99 Million Investment in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Westwood Holdings Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor purchased 167,061 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,988,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 23.9% during the 1st quarter. Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP now owns 31,591 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,634,000 after acquiring an additional 6,094 shares in the last quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter worth approximately $235,000. Southernsun Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth approximately $23,422,000. TD Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 37.6% during the second quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 13,112 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,197,000 after purchasing an additional 3,582 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.8% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 449,136 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $75,244,000 after purchasing an additional 28,481 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $162.55 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 3.08 and a quick ratio of 1.86. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $182.85. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $162.55 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $168.07. The company has a market cap of $6.36 billion, a PE ratio of 22.93 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $468.45 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $461.37 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.02% and a return on equity of 25.24%. The business’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.83 EPS. Analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th were issued a $0.5625 dividend. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $2.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on MSA shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $186.50.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $53,613.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $713,874. This trade represents a 6.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.