HBK Sorce Advisory LLC Sells 4,908 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

HBK Sorce Advisory LLC trimmed its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 53.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,301 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 4,908 shares during the period. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $689,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 294.1% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 8,489 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,359,000 after buying an additional 6,335 shares during the period. Swedbank AB boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 730.1% during the 4th quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 19,889 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,185,000 after buying an additional 17,493 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.7% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 19,297 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,090,000 after buying an additional 695 shares during the period. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 66.0% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 795 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $127,000 after buying an additional 316 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $173.47 on Wednesday. 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 firm has a fifty day moving average price of $169.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $172.89. The company has a market cap of $6.70 billion, a PE ratio of 23.44 and a beta of 0.97.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued 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. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The firm had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.68 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the industrial products company to purchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.54 dividend. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.19%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on MSA shares. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average 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.