MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Stock Acquired by Vest Financial LLC

Vest Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 36.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 43,595 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 11,692 shares during the quarter. Vest Financial LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $7,755,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Giverny Capital Inc. bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter worth about $29,034,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,611,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,738,000. Madison Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC now owns 588,568 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $96,496,000 after purchasing an additional 20,324 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2,490.2% during the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 89,517 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $15,628,000 after purchasing an additional 86,061 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total transaction of $3,879,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,762,352.76. This represents a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 469 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total transaction of $89,579.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,776 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $721,216. The trade was a 11.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $184.21 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $183.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $175.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.05 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 3.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $151.10 and a 52-week high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 16.13%. The business had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $496.27 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.93 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th were paid a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.87%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. B. Riley Financial cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 10th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $211.33.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE: MSA) develops and manufactures safety products and systems designed to protect workers and facility operations. Its offerings include industrial and firefighter helmets, eye and face protection, hearing protection, respiratory protection, protective clothing, and fall-protection equipment.

The company also provides portable and fixed gas-detection systems, flame detection and suppression technologies, thermal imaging cameras, and related software and services.