P2 Capital Partners LLC Grows Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

P2 Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 36.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 185,675 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 49,332 shares during the period. MSA Safety Incorporporated comprises approximately 7.6% of P2 Capital Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. P2 Capital Partners LLC owned approximately 0.48% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $29,734,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 126 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased 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 purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. Picton Mahoney Asset Management bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter worth approximately $50,000. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. The trade was a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $162.41 on Wednesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $167.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $173.42. 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 current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92. The firm has a market cap of $6.27 billion, a PE ratio of 21.95 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The firm had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.68 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, 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 approved a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the industrial products company to reacquire up to 6.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are 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 boost 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 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 29.19%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated 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.