MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Purchased by Squarepoint Ops LLC

Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 2,490.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 89,517 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 86,061 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC owned about 0.23% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $15,628,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Allied Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth $56,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 2.0%

Shares of MSA opened at $184.88 on Thursday. The company's fifty day moving average is $182.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $175.62. 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 quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 3.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market cap of $7.13 billion, a PE ratio of 22.99 and a beta of 0.94.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 16.13%.The business had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $496.27 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.93 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.2 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is presently 26.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 469 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total transaction of $89,579.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,776 shares in the company, valued at $721,216. This trade represents a 11.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total transaction of $3,879,800.00. Following the sale, the chairman owned 50,324 shares of the company's stock, 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. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday. B. Riley Financial lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price target for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $211.33.

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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