MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Bought by Champlain Investment Partners LLC

Key Points

• Champlain Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporated by 28.4%, owning approximately 1.74 million shares, making it the firm's third largest position.
• The company reported earnings of $1.93 per share for the last quarter, exceeding estimates, alongside a revenue increase of 2.5% year-over-year.
• MSA Safety Incorporated has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53, with a current dividend yield of 1.2%.

Champlain Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 28.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,738,675 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 384,365 shares during the period. MSA Safety Incorporporated comprises 1.8% of Champlain Investment Partners LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Champlain Investment Partners LLC owned about 4.42% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $255,046,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. now owns 23,136 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,394,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of 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. grew 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 valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 11,000 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,614,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 970 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $142,000 after buying an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report 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 report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock traded down $2.38 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $170.50. 186,663 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 228,205. 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 business has a fifty day moving average of $173.46 and a 200 day moving average of $161.43. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $127.86 and a 1-year high of $187.41. The company has a market capitalization of $6.67 billion, a PE ratio of 24.32 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 period in the prior year, the company posted $2.01 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

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

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.