KBC Group NV Buys 40,361 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• KBC Group NV sharply increased its stake in MSA Safety, buying 40,361 shares in the first quarter and lifting its holdings to 41,532 shares worth about $6.8 million.
• MSA Safety reported better-than-expected earnings for its latest quarter, with EPS of $1.99 versus estimates of $1.85 and revenue of $463.63 million, up 10% year over year.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.54 per share, while analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold with a price target around $203.60.

KBC Group NV boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 3,446.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 41,532 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 40,361 shares during the period. KBC Group NV owned approximately 0.11% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $6,809,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased 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 acquiring an additional 82,305 shares during the last quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $290,115,000 after acquiring an additional 106,349 shares during the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.0% during the 4th quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 899,030 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $143,971,000 after purchasing an additional 74,410 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 764,663 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $122,460,000 after purchasing an additional 9,915 shares during the period. Finally, M&G PLC grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. M&G PLC now owns 728,727 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $116,596,000 after purchasing an additional 4,899 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $171.59 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92. The stock has a market cap of $6.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.19 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $167.30 and a two-hundred day moving average of $174.76. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $151.10 and a 1 year high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The business had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.68 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast 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 was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.19%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on MSA. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, DA Davidson dropped their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $203.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares of the company's stock, valued at $606,989.25. This represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Profile

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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