Swedbank AB Has $4.43 Million Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Swedbank AB raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 35.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 27,018 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,129 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB owned approximately 0.07% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $4,430,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MSA. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,792,712 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $607,365,000 after buying an additional 82,305 shares during the last quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. now owns 1,811,635 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $290,115,000 after purchasing an additional 106,349 shares during the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.0% in the 4th quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 899,030 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $143,971,000 after purchasing an additional 74,410 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 764,663 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $122,460,000 after purchasing an additional 9,915 shares during the period. Finally, M&G PLC boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. M&G PLC now owns 728,727 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $116,596,000 after purchasing an additional 4,899 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA stock traded up $3.19 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $171.04. 252,706 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 313,613. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $151.10 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 3.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.11 and a beta of 0.95. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $167.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $174.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.68 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current fiscal 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 given a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.19%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on MSA. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. DA Davidson lowered their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 11th. 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. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $200.00.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.