MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.26 EPS

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The industrial products company reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.26, FiscalAI reports. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The company had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $496.27 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.93 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA traded up $18.07 on Friday, hitting $192.43. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 425,208 shares, compared to its average volume of 263,762. The company has a market capitalization of $7.43 billion, a PE ratio of 26.00 and a beta of 0.95. 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 has a fifty-two week low of $151.10 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $168.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $175.05.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 2,409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $386,000 after buying an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 59,849 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $9,584,000 after purchasing an additional 5,531 shares in the last quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 56.3% during the fourth quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 47,321 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $7,578,000 after purchasing an additional 17,049 shares during the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,165,000. Finally, First Manhattan CO. LLC. increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 10.0% in the fourth quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 57,425 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $9,196,000 after purchasing an additional 5,200 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. DA Davidson lowered their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $203.60.

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.