MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Purchased by Inspire Investing LLC

Inspire Investing LLC boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 21.5% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 14,600 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,588 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $2,142,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,222 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $368,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 22,611 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,748,000 after purchasing an additional 536 shares during the last quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter worth about $237,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 241.6% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 148,212 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $24,569,000 after purchasing an additional 104,829 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter worth about $215,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.5%

NYSE MSA opened at $169.40 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $187.41. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $173.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $162.13. 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 market capitalization of $6.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.16 and a beta of 0.95.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.01 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.24%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.