Madison Asset Management LLC Boosts Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Madison Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 3.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 588,568 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 20,324 shares during the quarter. MSA Safety Incorporporated makes up about 1.2% of Madison Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Madison Asset Management LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $96,496,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the 3rd 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. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. eCIO Inc. purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the second 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. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed 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. DA Davidson lowered 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 research note on Monday, May 11th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.60.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $171.12 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $151.10 and a 52-week high of $208.92. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $167.32 and its 200-day moving average price is $174.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.12 and a beta of 0.95.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend 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 was Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.19%.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company 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.