MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Holdings Decreased by UBS Group AG

UBS Group AG lowered its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSAFree Report) by 55.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 122,397 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 150,574 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $19,601,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. First Horizon Corp bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased 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 purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. DA Davidson decreased their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.00.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSA Safety Incorporporated

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total value of $223,828.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $168.67 on Tuesday. 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 market cap of $6.51 billion, a PE ratio of 22.79 and a beta of 0.97. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $173.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $172.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSAGet Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.68 EPS. Analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.83 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 28.65%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase program 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 repurchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

(Free Report)

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.

Further Reading

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Institutional Ownership by Quarter for MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

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