MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. cut its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 8.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 82,023 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 7,544 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $13,135,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $6,953,000 after purchasing an additional 13,501 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter valued at approximately $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,359 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% during the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,757 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $462,000 after purchasing an additional 661 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $200.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 1.4%

MSA stock opened at $170.92 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $151.10 and a 52-week high of $208.92. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $170.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $172.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.10 and a beta of 0.97.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The business had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.68 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.19%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the industrial products company to buy up to 6.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of safety products designed to protect workers in hazardous environments. The company’s offerings span personal protective equipment such as industrial helmets, face shields, protective clothing and fall protection devices, as well as fixed and portable gas detection and monitoring systems. MSA’s products are used in industries including oil and gas, mining, construction, fire service, and chemical processing to guard against risks such as gas leaks, impacts, flame exposure and falls from height.

Key product lines include self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and air-purifying respirators, gas detectors and sensors, head and face protection, and fall arrest systems.