P2 Capital Partners LLC Sells 5,000 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

P2 Capital Partners LLC reduced its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 3.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 136,343 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 5,000 shares during the quarter. MSA Safety Incorporporated comprises about 4.5% of P2 Capital Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. P2 Capital Partners LLC owned 0.35% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $23,461,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 397.7% in the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 219 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 1.4%

MSA stock opened at $176.85 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $127.86 and a 12 month high of $208.92. The firm has a market cap of $6.86 billion, a PE ratio of 24.98 and a beta of 0.96. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $186.49 and a 200 day simple moving average of $172.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.01 and a quick ratio of 1.82.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.26 by $0.12. The firm 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%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.25 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 29.94%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the industrial products company to buy up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

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.