MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Acquired by Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH

Key Points

• Fort Washington Investment Advisors increased its MSA Safety stake by 19.9% in the third quarter, acquiring 29,289 shares and bringing its holdings to 176,593 shares valued at approximately $31.4 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 92.51% of the company.
• MSA Safety reported quarterly EPS of $2.40, beating estimates of $2.14, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $503.33 million. The company also pays an annualized dividend of $2.16 per share, yielding about 1.2%.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $211.33, compared with the stock’s recent price of $181.84. Meanwhile, two company insiders sold shares, including Chairman Nishan Vartanian, who sold 20,000 shares for about $3.88 million.

Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 19.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 176,593 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 29,289 shares during the period. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH owned approximately 0.46% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $31,412,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MSA. Giverny Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,034,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,611,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,738,000. Madison Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.6% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2,490.2% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 89,517 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $15,628,000 after purchasing an additional 86,061 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 0.1%

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $181.84 on Friday. 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 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 3.24. The company has a market capitalization of $7.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.85 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $184.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $175.14.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $503.33 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $496.27 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 16.13%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.93 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.87%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. B. Riley Financial lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their target price for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 in a report on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $211.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Jonathan Buck sold 469 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total value of $89,579.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,776 shares of the company's stock, valued at $721,216. The trade was a 11.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total transaction of $3,879,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares in the company, valued at $9,762,352.76. The trade was a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Profile

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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