Thematics Asset Management Cuts Stock Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Thematics Asset Management lessened its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 13.3% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 86,935 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 13,365 shares during the quarter. Thematics Asset Management’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $14,959,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $6,953,000 after buying an additional 13,501 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter worth $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $646,000 after acquiring an additional 1,359 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter worth $257,000. Finally, Penserra Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on MSA shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $202.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $176.85 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.86 billion, a PE ratio of 24.98 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $186.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $172.38. The company has a quick ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 3.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase 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 reacquire up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.94%.

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.