Entropy Technologies LP Invests $549,000 in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 3,350 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $549,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Comerica Bank raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 30.6% in the fourth quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 103,450 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $16,567,000 after purchasing an additional 24,260 shares in the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.4% during the fourth quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 95,838 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $15,347,000 after buying an additional 9,840 shares during the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,243,000. Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at about $23,604,000. Finally, Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $290,115,000 after buying an additional 106,349 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, DA Davidson cut their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $203.60.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 2.0%

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $176.12 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $167.91 and a two-hundred day moving average of $175.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $151.10 and a one year high of $208.92. The stock has a market cap of $6.80 billion, a PE ratio of 23.80 and a beta of 0.95.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.68 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th were given a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is 29.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.