Victory Capital Management Inc. Has $58.23 Million Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 4,827.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 338,411 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 331,543 shares during the quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $58,230,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $158,997,000. Cooke & Bieler LP lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 824,620 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $141,892,000 after acquiring an additional 10,858 shares in the last quarter. M&G PLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5,607.2% in the 2nd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 722,251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $121,338,000 after purchasing an additional 709,596 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 12.2% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 614,887 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $103,012,000 after purchasing an additional 66,977 shares during the period. Finally, Channing Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC now owns 516,459 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $86,522,000 after acquiring an additional 22,804 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of MSA stock opened at $183.56 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.93 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $208.92. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $184.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $172.05. 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 released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.26 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 14.88% and a return on equity of 24.48%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.25 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given 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 is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.94%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the industrial products company to repurchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MSA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. DA Davidson boosted their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $202.17.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total value 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 represents a 25.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

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.