Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension Purchases Shares of 147,395 MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 147,395 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,604,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,792,712 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $607,365,000 after acquiring an additional 82,305 shares during the period. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter worth $158,997,000. Cooke & Bieler LP increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 824,620 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $141,892,000 after buying an additional 10,858 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 754,748 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $129,866,000 after buying an additional 16,576 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 616,690 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $106,114,000 after buying an additional 1,803 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated 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 approximately $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSA has been the topic of several recent research reports. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. 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 report on Monday. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $200.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $174.41 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $172.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $172.37. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $151.10 and a 12 month high of $208.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.57 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to repurchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is 28.65%.

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.