MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Purchased by Comerica Bank

Key Points

• Comerica Bank increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporated by 40.2% in Q1, owning approximately $11.86 million worth of the company after acquiring an additional 23,177 shares.
• The firm reported an EPS of $1.93 for the last quarter, surpassing expectations and showing a 2.5% revenue increase year-over-year.
• MSA Safety Incorporated has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, reflecting a 1.2% yield based on its annualized dividend of $2.12.

Comerica Bank grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 40.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 80,878 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 23,177 shares during the quarter. Comerica Bank owned approximately 0.21% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $11,864,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 65.1% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 36,524 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,358,000 after purchasing an additional 14,404 shares in the last quarter. Walleye Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,441,000. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 35,764 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,246,000 after acquiring an additional 306 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.5% in the 1st quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 12,723 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,866,000 after acquiring an additional 3,604 shares during the period. Finally, Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 23.9% in the 1st quarter. Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP now owns 31,591 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $4,634,000 after acquiring an additional 6,094 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA traded down $2.38 on Monday, hitting $170.50. 186,663 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 228,205. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $187.41. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $173.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $161.52. The stock has a market cap of $6.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.32 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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 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 analysts' expectations of $446.46 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.01 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is 30.24%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on MSA shares. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 16th. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated 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.