MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Stock: M&G PLC Lowers Position

M&G PLC lowered its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 669,472 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 20,862 shares during the period. M&G PLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $119,166,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MSA. Allied Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 74.0% during the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 174 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New Hampshire bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 623.3% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 217 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1,452.9% during the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 264 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MSA. Stifel Nicolaus set a $202.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 4th. DA Davidson reduced their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $223.00 to $216.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, B. Riley Financial downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $209.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA stock opened at $173.07 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.05 and a beta of 0.92. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $181.00 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $177.99. The company has a current ratio of 2.65, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $152.86 and a 12-month high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The industrial products company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09. The company had revenue of $536.43 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $528.39 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.03% and a return on equity of 24.86%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.77 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.12 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 13th will be given a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 13th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.76%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops and manufactures products that help protect workers and first responders. Its offerings include portable and fixed gas and flame detection systems, respiratory protection equipment, protective helmets and other head and eye protection, and fall protection systems.

The company serves customers in industries such as oil and gas, construction, utilities, mining and manufacturing, as well as fire and emergency services. Its products and safety solutions are sold in markets around the world.

Founded in 1914 and headquartered in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, MSA has a long history in workplace safety.