MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Position Boosted by Inspire Investing LLC

Key Points

• Inspire Investing LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporated by 21.5% in the first quarter, owning a total of 14,600 shares valued at approximately $2.14 million.
• MSA Safety Incorporated reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.93 for the last quarter, exceeding analyst expectations of $1.76, along with a revenue of $474.12 million.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, resulting in an annualized dividend yield of 1.3% and a payout ratio of 30.24%.

Inspire Investing LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 21.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,600 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,588 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $2,142,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Foresight Group Ltd Liability Partnership acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter worth $27,163,000. Jane Street Group LLC grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $646,000 after acquiring an additional 1,359 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% in the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter worth about $367,000. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter valued at about $757,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA traded up $2.15 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $171.11. 42,125 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 207,427. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 3.11 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The company has a market capitalization of $6.70 billion, a PE ratio of 24.39 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $173.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $162.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $187.41.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.24%.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total value of $400,213.11. Following the completion of the sale, the president owned 9,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,539,659.33. This represents a 20.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on MSA shares. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target on the stock. DA Davidson raised their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $189.20.

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.