Squarepoint Ops LLC Purchases 86,061 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 2,490.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 89,517 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 86,061 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $15,628,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $6,953,000 after buying an additional 13,501 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter worth about $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $646,000 after acquiring an additional 1,359 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,757 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $462,000 after purchasing an additional 661 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. B. Riley Financial cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $211.33.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

NYSE:MSA opened at $184.88 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 3.24. The company has a 50-day moving average of $182.45 and a 200-day moving average of $175.62. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $151.10 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The company has a market capitalization of $7.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.99 and a beta of 0.94.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 26.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total value of $3,879,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares in the company, valued at $9,762,352.76. This trade represents a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 469 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total transaction of $89,579.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,776 shares in the company, valued at approximately $721,216. The trade was a 11.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

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.