Entropy Technologies LP Invests $549,000 in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Entropy Technologies LP purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 3,350 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $549,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Comerica Bank boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 30.6% during the fourth quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 103,450 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $16,567,000 after purchasing an additional 24,260 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.4% during the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 95,838 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $15,347,000 after buying an additional 9,840 shares in the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,243,000. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. now owns 1,811,635 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $290,115,000 after buying an additional 106,349 shares during the period. Finally, Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth about $23,604,000. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA stock opened at $176.12 on Thursday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $151.10 and a 1-year high of $208.92. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $167.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $175.05. The company has a market capitalization of $6.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.80 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.68 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.19%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the topic of a number of research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Finally, DA Davidson dropped their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.60.

Insider Activity

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

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.