Bessemer Group Inc. Has $26.39 Million Stock Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in MSA Safety by 56.6% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 161,000 shares valued at about $26.4 million.
• MSA Safety reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings, with EPS of $1.99 versus the $1.85 estimate, and revenue rose 10% year over year to $463.63 million.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.54 per share, while analysts currently have a mixed view: the stock’s average rating is Hold with an average price target of $203.60.

Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 56.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 161,000 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 58,220 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. owned 0.42% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $26,395,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter valued at about $158,997,000. Madison Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $90,999,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter worth approximately $66,878,000. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1,447.3% in the fourth quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 363,177 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $58,159,000 after acquiring an additional 339,705 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 233.9% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 452,505 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $72,464,000 after acquiring an additional 316,975 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on MSA. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. DA Davidson reduced their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "hold" rating and set a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $203.60.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA opened at $170.91 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.10 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $151.10 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $167.27 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $174.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The company had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.68 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.19%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. The trade was a 13.27% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of safety products designed to protect workers in hazardous environments. The company's offerings span personal protective equipment such as industrial helmets, face shields, protective clothing and fall protection devices, as well as fixed and portable gas detection and monitoring systems. MSA's products are used in industries including oil and gas, mining, construction, fire service, and chemical processing to guard against risks such as gas leaks, impacts, flame exposure and falls from height.

Key product lines include self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and air-purifying respirators, gas detectors and sensors, head and face protection, and fall arrest systems.

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