Hantz Financial Services Inc. Raises Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• Hantz Financial Services increased its stake in MSA Safety by 294.1% in the fourth quarter, buying 6,335 additional shares and bringing its total to 8,489 shares valued at about $1.36 million.
• MSA Safety’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of $1.99 versus the $1.85 estimate and revenue up 10% year over year to $463.63 million.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.54 per share and approved a $500 million share buyback, while analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold with an average target price of $200.

Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 294.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,489 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,335 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc.'s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $1,359,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,792,712 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $607,365,000 after purchasing an additional 82,305 shares during the period. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter valued at approximately $158,997,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 754,748 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $129,866,000 after purchasing an additional 16,576 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 616,690 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $106,114,000 after purchasing an additional 1,803 shares during the period. Finally, Madison Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $90,999,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. B. Riley Financial reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, DA Davidson reduced their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $200.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $171.50 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17. The business's 50 day moving average price is $169.87 and its 200-day moving average price is $172.99. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $151.10 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92. The company has a market cap of $6.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.18 and a beta of 0.97.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 prior year, the business posted $1.68 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is currently 29.19%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase 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 typically an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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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