Argent Capital Management LLC Buys New Shares in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• Argent Capital Management LLC purchased 102,555 shares of MSA Safety Incorporated, amounting to approximately $17.18 million, increasing its stake to about 0.26% of the company.
• Equities research analysts have upgraded MSA from a "hold" to a "buy" rating, with DA Davidson raising the price target to $203.00.
• MSA Safety Incorporated recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, representing an annual yield of 1.2% and a payout ratio of 30.24%.

Argent Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 102,555 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $17,181,000. Argent Capital Management LLC owned about 0.26% of MSA Safety Incorporporated at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its stake in 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 valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in 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 during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in 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 during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 115.4% in the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 293 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% during the first 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 last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 16th. DA Davidson upped their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $172.26 on Tuesday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $183.18. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $172.96 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $162.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm has a market cap of $6.74 billion, a PE ratio of 24.57 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.01 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total value of $400,213.11. Following the completion of the transaction, the president owned 9,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,539,659.33. This trade represents a 20.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

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.

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