MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Holdings Lowered by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group trimmed its stake in MSA Safety by 2.5% to 364,189 shares (about $58.3M), and institutional investors now own roughly 92.51% of the stock.
• MSA posted a strong quarter, reporting EPS $1.99 vs. $1.85 expected and revenue of $463.6M (up 10% year‑over‑year), while analysts hold a consensus "Hold" rating with an average price target of $204.83.
• The company boosted shareholder returns, raising the quarterly dividend to $0.54 ($2.16 annual) and authorizing a $500 million share buyback program that could repurchase up to 6.6% of outstanding shares.

Principal Financial Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 364,189 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 9,359 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.93% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $58,324,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. eCIO Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter worth $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter valued at $43,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on MSA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday. B. Riley Financial restated a "buy" rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. DA Davidson raised their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $204.83.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.2%

NYSE:MSA opened at $171.90 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.64 billion, a PE ratio of 23.23 and a beta of 0.97. 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.82. The stock's 50-day moving average is $174.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $172.23.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share 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 the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.68 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.65%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the industrial products company to buy up to 6.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company's management believes its shares are 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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