Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Invests $235,000 in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. acquired 1,599 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated valued at approximately $235,000, marking a new investment in the company during the first quarter.
• MSA Safety Incorporporated reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $1.93, exceeding analysts' estimates by $0.17, and generated revenue of $474.12 million, up 2.5% from the same quarter last year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, scheduled for September 10th, with an annualized yield of 1.2% and a payout ratio of 30.24%.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 1,599 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $235,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 57.1% in the first quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 4,881 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $716,000 after purchasing an additional 1,775 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.0% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 29,074 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $4,265,000 after acquiring an additional 563 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter valued at $1,273,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 13.2% during the first quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 82,418 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $12,090,000 after acquiring an additional 9,593 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MSA. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price objective for the company. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.7%

NYSE:MSA traded down $1.16 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $172.97. The company had a trading volume of 204,415 shares, compared to its average volume of 207,487. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $187.41. The business's fifty day moving average is $173.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $161.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 3.11. The firm has a market cap of $6.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.67 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%.The firm had revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.01 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 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 Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.24%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide.