Brown Advisory Inc. Purchases 122,926 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Brown Advisory Inc. raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 47.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 380,320 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 122,926 shares during the quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. owned approximately 0.98% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $60,904,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $6,953,000 after buying an additional 13,501 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $646,000 after buying an additional 1,359 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,757 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $462,000 after buying an additional 661 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.0%

MSA opened at $159.94 on Monday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $151.10 and a 12 month high of $208.92. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $167.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $173.40. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The firm has a market cap of $6.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.61 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.68 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. This is a positive change 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 1.4%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.19%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to reacquire up to 6.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on MSA. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, DA Davidson decreased their target price on 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. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $200.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company 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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