MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Acquired by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 14.0% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 216,844 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 26,600 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $37,312,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 34.8% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 298 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 19.8% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 477 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $82,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,327 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $390,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.0% during the third quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 9,297 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,614,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in 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 last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:MSA opened at $195.69 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $127.86 and a 1-year high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.01 and a quick ratio of 1.82. The stock has a market cap of $7.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.64 and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $181.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $171.36.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 14.88% and a return on equity of 24.48%. The company had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $508.62 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.25 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the industrial products company to repurchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $202.17.

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.