Geode Capital Management LLC Grows Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 656,801 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 6,681 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $105,204,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MSA. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% in 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 in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter worth about $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $646,000 after buying an additional 1,359 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,757 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $462,000 after buying an additional 661 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on MSA shares. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. DA Davidson cut 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 research note on Monday, May 11th. B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $161.14 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $151.10 and a one year high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $168.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $173.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.78 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The firm had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.68 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.19%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the industrial products company to repurchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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.