MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) CFO Julie Beck Acquires 448 Shares

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) CFO Julie Beck purchased 448 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $158.69 per share, with a total value 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 represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA opened at $159.94 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $167.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $173.27. The firm has a market cap of $6.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.61 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $151.10 and a twelve month high of $208.92. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. The business 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 business’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.68 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has initiated a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the industrial products company to repurchase up to 6.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.19%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MSA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. DA Davidson reduced their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,792,712 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $607,365,000 after buying an additional 82,305 shares during the period. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. increased its stake in 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 buying an additional 106,349 shares during the period. Cooke & Bieler LP increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.0% during the 4th quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 899,030 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $143,971,000 after buying an additional 74,410 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 764,663 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $122,460,000 after buying an additional 9,915 shares during the period. Finally, M&G PLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. M&G PLC now owns 728,727 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $116,596,000 after buying an additional 4,899 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% 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.