United Services Automobile Association Buys Shares of 2,477 MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 2,477 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $367,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% during the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% during the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $100,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.6% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 970 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $142,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MSA opened at $171.85 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 3.11. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $173.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $162.09. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $187.41. The firm has a market cap of $6.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.52 and a beta of 0.95.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The firm had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.01 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.24%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on MSA shares. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 16th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide.