MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) CFO Buys $71,093.12 in Stock

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) CFO Julie Beck bought 448 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. The trade was 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 Stock Up 0.0%

NYSE:MSA opened at $159.94 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $6.17 billion, a PE 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. The company’s 50 day moving average is $167.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.40.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.68 EPS. Analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan 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 purchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson dropped their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. 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. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $200.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position 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 acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter worth $43,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.