Short Interest in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Declines By 18.0%

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 1,247,619 shares, a drop of 18.0% from the January 15th total of 1,522,077 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 242,981 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.1 days. Currently, 3.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Currently, 3.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 242,981 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.1 days.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total value of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $713,874. This represents a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,953,000 after buying an additional 13,501 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter valued at about $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $646,000 after acquiring an additional 1,359 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 38.1% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 3,415 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $572,000 after purchasing an additional 942 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 96.1% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 696 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $117,000 after purchasing an additional 341 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on MSA shares. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Wall Street Zen cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock traded down $0.64 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $202.44. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 257,481 shares, compared to its average volume of 216,916. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.85 billion, a PE ratio of 28.59 and a beta of 0.98. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $174.92 and its 200 day simple moving average is $169.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a current ratio of 3.01.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $510.91 million during 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 was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.25 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is 29.94%.

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.