185,170 Shares in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Purchased by Foresight Group Ltd Liability Partnership

Key Points

• Foresight Group Ltd Liability Partnership has invested approximately $27.16 million in MSA Safety Incorporated, acquiring 185,170 shares, which now represent about 3.9% of its portfolio.
• MSA Safety Incorporated reported better-than-expected earnings with a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%, with revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, with an annualized dividend of $2.12, indicating a dividend yield of 1.3%.

Foresight Group Ltd Liability Partnership purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 185,170 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $27,163,000. MSA Safety Incorporporated comprises about 3.9% of Foresight Group Ltd Liability Partnership's portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Foresight Group Ltd Liability Partnership owned approximately 0.47% of MSA Safety Incorporporated at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Champlain Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.4% in the 1st quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,738,675 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $255,046,000 after purchasing an additional 384,365 shares during the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 33.9% in the first quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 790,939 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $116,023,000 after buying an additional 200,221 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 241.6% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 148,212 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $24,569,000 after buying an additional 104,829 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter valued at approximately $14,631,000. Finally, Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter valued at approximately $10,894,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 16th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their target price on 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 assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.5%

MSA traded down $0.81 on Tuesday, reaching $168.22. 85,059 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 207,750. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $187.41. The company's 50 day moving average is $173.35 and its 200-day moving average is $162.17. The company has a market cap of $6.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.98 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 3.11.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.01 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total transaction of $400,213.11. Following the completion of the transaction, the president directly owned 9,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,539,659.33. This trade represents a 20.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

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.