AlphaQuest LLC Boosts Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

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 increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 39.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund 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 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bayforest Capital Ltd grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% in the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew 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 worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake 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 worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 135 shares during the period. Finally, Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 101 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of MSA traded down $0.77 on Thursday, reaching $173.36. The company's stock had a trading volume of 44,046 shares, compared to its average volume of 206,495. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $187.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.79 billion, a PE ratio of 24.69 and a beta of 0.96. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $173.19 and a 200-day moving average of $161.37.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The company 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 business posted $2.01 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Investors 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 is currently 30.24%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.