Inspire Investing LLC Purchases 2,588 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

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

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% in the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $100,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.6% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 970 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $142,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total transaction of $400,213.11. Following the completion of the sale, the president owned 9,083 shares in the company, valued at $1,539,659.33. The trade was a 20.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 target price on the stock. DA Davidson lifted 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 raised 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 assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock traded down $0.26 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $169.01. 165,548 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 191,403. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $187.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 3.11. The firm has a market cap of $6.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.11 and a beta of 0.96. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $173.35 and its 200 day simple moving average is $162.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%.The business had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $446.46 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.01 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is currently 30.24%.

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.