Two Sigma Securities LLC Takes Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Two Sigma Securities LLC bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 3,648 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $637,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 126 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. Allied Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter worth approximately $57,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $187.55 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $7.24 billion, a PE ratio of 23.33 and a beta of 0.94. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $151.10 and a 1 year high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.24 and a quick ratio of 2.02. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $180.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $176.19.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $496.27 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.93 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.2 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total transaction of $3,879,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 50,324 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,762,352.76. This represents a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSA has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $211.33.

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.