MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Bought by Royal Bank of Canada

Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSAFree Report) by 42.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 218,070 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 65,002 shares during the quarter. Royal Bank of Canada owned approximately 0.56% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $35,752,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Comerica Bank lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 30.6% during the fourth quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 103,450 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $16,567,000 after buying an additional 24,260 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.4% in the 4th 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 period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,243,000. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.2% during 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 acquiring an additional 106,349 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter worth about $23,604,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 1.2%

MSA opened at $192.56 on Tuesday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $151.10 and a 1 year high of $208.92. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $168.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $175.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 3.24. The company has a market cap of $7.43 billion, a PE ratio of 23.95 and a beta of 0.94.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSAGet Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.12%. The company had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $496.27 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.93 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.87%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting MSA Safety Incorporporated

Here are the key news stories impacting MSA Safety Incorporporated this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: MSA Safety’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings of $2.40 per share versus the $2.14 consensus and revenue of $503.3 million versus estimates of $496.3 million. Revenue increased 6.2% year over year, while earnings rose from $1.93 per share in the prior-year quarter. The strong performance likely remains a key reason for the stock’s recent strength. MSA Safety Shares Up After Better-Than-Expected Earnings
  • Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $220 from $210, signaling additional potential upside despite retaining a neutral rating. JPMorgan Price Target Update
  • Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird increased its price target to $215 from $197. Although the firm remains neutral, the higher target reflects a more favorable valuation outlook following the earnings performance. Baird Price Target Update
  • Neutral Sentiment: MSA Safety declared a quarterly common-stock dividend of $0.54 per share, payable September 10 to shareholders of record August 14. The company also declared a $0.5625 preferred-stock dividend. The payout supports investor income but is unlikely to materially change the valuation. MSA Safety Declares Quarterly Dividend
  • Negative Sentiment: B. Riley downgraded MSA Safety from “buy” to “neutral” and cut its price target to $195 from $210. The downgrade suggests limited near-term upside after the stock’s recent advance and offsets some of the optimism from the other target increases. B. Riley Rating Downgrade

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. DA Davidson lowered their target price 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, May 11th. B. Riley Financial downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $208.50.

Read Our Latest Report on MSA Safety Incorporporated

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

(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.

See Also

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

Receive News & Ratings for MSA Safety Incorporporated Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MSA Safety Incorporporated and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.