MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Purchased by Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc.

Key Points

• Speece Thorson Capital Group increased its stake in MSA by 23.7% in Q4 to 93,158 shares (about $14.92 million), representing roughly 0.24% of MSA and 3.2% of the firm's holdings (its 13th largest position).
• MSA beat quarterly estimates with EPS of $2.38 (vs. $2.26 expected) and revenue of $510.91M, and its board approved a $500 million share buyback program to repurchase up to 6.6% of outstanding shares.
• Analyst coverage is mixed—two Buys and five Holds—giving MSA a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $203.14.

Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 23.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 93,158 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 17,858 shares during the quarter. MSA Safety Incorporporated accounts for approximately 3.2% of Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. owned approximately 0.24% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $14,918,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 126 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the third quarter valued at $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the third quarter valued at $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. B. Riley Financial reissued a "buy" rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $205.00 to $195.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 30th. DA Davidson raised their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $203.14.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated 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 sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at approximately $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.5%

NYSE:MSA opened at $169.73 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.58 billion, a PE ratio of 23.97 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 3.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $150.65 and a 52-week high of $208.92. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $178.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $172.18.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.26 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The business's revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.25 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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