Royce & Associates LP Raises Stock Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Royce & Associates LP boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 11.4% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 95,838 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 9,840 shares during the quarter. Royce & Associates LP’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $15,347,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. New York State Common Retirement Fund raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 156,293 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,893,000 after buying an additional 3,600 shares during the period. Comerica Bank raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 30.6% during the 4th quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 103,450 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $16,567,000 after buying an additional 24,260 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter valued at $782,000. Alps Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter valued at $15,282,000. Finally, Citigroup Inc. raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 123.6% during the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 46,775 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $8,049,000 after buying an additional 25,856 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $173.47 on Wednesday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $151.10 and a 1-year high of $208.92. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $169.97 and its 200 day moving average is $172.89. The company has a market cap of $6.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.44 and a beta of 0.97. 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 quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.68 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its board has approved a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to buy up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.00.

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.