GHP Investment Advisors Inc. Has $2.40 Million Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 88.9% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 14,660 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,900 shares during the quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $2,403,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter valued at $158,997,000. Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at about $90,999,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter worth about $66,878,000. Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1,447.3% during the fourth quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 363,177 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $58,159,000 after purchasing an additional 339,705 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4,827.4% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 338,411 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $58,230,000 after purchasing an additional 331,543 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on MSA. DA Davidson lowered their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.00.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $170.12 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $167.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17. The firm has a market cap of $6.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.99 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $151.10 and a 52 week high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $451.28 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.68 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. 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. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.19%.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.