Giverny Capital Inc. Purchases New Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Giverny Capital Inc. acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 166,305 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,034,000. MSA Safety Incorporporated accounts for 1.0% of Giverny Capital Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.4% in the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $297,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 3,033 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $486,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.8% during the second quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,327 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $390,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the period. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 11,850 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,039,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on MSA. B. Riley Financial cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $223.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four 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 $211.33.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie Beck acquired 448 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. The trade was a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Nishan 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 sale, the chairman owned 50,324 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,762,352.76. This trade represents a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MSA opened at $188.73 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $7.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.47 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 current ratio of 3.24, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $181.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of $175.88.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 26.87%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company 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.