Janney Montgomery Scott LLC Raises Stock Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 36.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 12,351 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,314 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $2,025,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5.4% in the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 6,033 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $989,000 after acquiring an additional 308 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 88.9% during the first quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 14,660 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,403,000 after purchasing an additional 6,900 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter worth approximately $1,738,000. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter worth approximately $259,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter worth approximately $3,130,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on MSA. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. DA Davidson reduced their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $167.97 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $151.10 and a 1-year high of $208.92. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $167.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $174.23. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $6.48 billion, a PE ratio of 22.70 and a beta of 0.95.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. This represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.