MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Acquired by Victory Capital Management Inc.

Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 4,827.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 338,411 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 331,543 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. owned approximately 0.86% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $58,230,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MSA. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter worth about $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 397.7% during the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 219 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 34.8% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 298 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

NYSE MSA opened at $183.56 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The company has a current ratio of 3.01, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market cap of $7.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.93 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $184.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $172.05.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 14.88% and a return on equity of 24.48%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.25 EPS. Analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.94%.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on MSA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $202.17.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.