MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by AlphaQuest LLC

Key Points

• AlphaQuest LLC cut its stake in MSA Safety by 64.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 15,269 shares and leaving it with 8,323 shares worth about $1.33 million.
• MSA Safety’s recent results beat expectations, with quarterly EPS of $1.99 versus the $1.85 consensus and revenue of $463.63 million, up 10% year over year.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.54 per share and has an active $500 million share repurchase program; analysts currently rate the stock a Hold on average with a $200 price target.

AlphaQuest LLC decreased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 64.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,323 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 15,269 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $1,333,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royce & Associates LP grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.4% during the fourth quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 95,838 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $15,347,000 after acquiring an additional 9,840 shares in the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.0% during the fourth quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 899,030 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $143,971,000 after acquiring an additional 74,410 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 3,033 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $486,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter valued at about $347,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 294.1% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 8,489 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,359,000 after acquiring an additional 6,335 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $200.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.7%

NYSE:MSA opened at $170.43 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.03 and a beta of 0.97. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $151.10 and a one year high of $208.92. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $169.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $173.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.68 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.54 dividend. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the industrial products company to reacquire up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Profile

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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