MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Stock Position Boosted by Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP

Key Points

• Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporated by 23.9%, owning 31,591 shares worth $4.63 million after acquiring additional shares.
• MSA Safety's latest earnings report shows EPS of $1.93, surpassing estimates of $1.76, with revenues reaching $474.12 million, which is a 2.5% increase year-over-year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, representing an annual yield of 1.2% and a payout ratio of 30.24%.

Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 23.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 31,591 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 6,094 shares during the period. Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP owned approximately 0.08% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $4,634,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% during the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $100,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.6% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 970 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $142,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on MSA. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. DA Davidson boosted their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. B. Riley restated a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE MSA traded up $1.80 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $171.94. 41,192 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 206,278. The company has a market capitalization of $6.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.55 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $127.86 and a 52-week high of $187.41. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $173.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $161.29.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.01 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is 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.