Diversified Management Inc. Buys 8,990 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• Diversified Management initiated a position in MSA Safety, purchasing 8,990 shares valued at approximately $1.6 million. Institutional investors collectively own 92.51% of the company.
• MSA Safety reported quarterly EPS of $2.40, exceeding the $2.14 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $503.33 million.
• The company maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.54 per share, equivalent to an annualized $2.16 payout and a 1.2% yield. Analysts hold a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $211.33.

Diversified Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 8,990 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,599,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. now owns 1,811,635 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $290,115,000 after buying an additional 106,349 shares during the last quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC now owns 588,568 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $96,496,000 after purchasing an additional 20,324 shares during the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 47.8% during the 4th quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 380,320 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $60,904,000 after purchasing an additional 122,926 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 42.5% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 218,070 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,752,000 after purchasing an additional 65,002 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.1% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 205,135 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $33,633,000 after purchasing an additional 11,788 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MSA opened at $177.96 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $186.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $174.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.24 and a quick ratio of 2.02. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $151.10 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.13 and a beta of 0.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $496.27 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.93 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th were given a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is 26.87%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $211.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 469 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total value of $89,579.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,776 shares in the company, valued at approximately $721,216. The trade was a 11.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total value of $3,879,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,762,352.76. This represents a 28.44% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated develops and manufactures safety products and systems designed to protect workers and facility occupants in hazardous environments. Its solutions are used across industries including construction, manufacturing, utilities, oil and gas, mining, emergency services, and public safety.

The company's product portfolio includes industrial head, face, eye, and hearing protection; fire and rescue helmets and protective equipment; respiratory protection; portable and fixed gas-detection instruments; fall-protection systems; thermal-imaging cameras; and related software and connected safety technologies.

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