MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Acquired by AlphaQuest LLC

Key Points

• AlphaQuest LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporated by 39.5% in Q1, owning 12,723 shares valued at approximately $1.87 million.
• Institutional investors hold 92.51% of MSA Safety Incorporporated's stock, with various hedge funds making significant increases in their positions during the same quarter.
• MSA Safety Incorporporated reported earnings of $1.93 per share in its latest quarterly results, exceeding expectations, and declared a dividend of $0.53 per share with a yield of 1.2%.

AlphaQuest LLC grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 39.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 12,723 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 3,604 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $1,866,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Bayforest Capital Ltd lifted its position in 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 worth $26,000 after buying an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $100,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.6% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 970 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $142,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of NYSE MSA traded up $3.92 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $174.06. The company's stock had a trading volume of 236,076 shares, compared to its average volume of 206,889. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 3.11 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.83 and a beta of 0.96. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $173.01 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $161.29. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $187.41.

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 analyst estimates of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%.MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.01 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.24%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated 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.