MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by SG Americas Securities LLC

Key Points

• SG Americas Securities LLC sharply reduced its stake in MSA Safety by 88% in the first quarter, selling 68,623 shares and leaving it with 9,386 shares valued at about $1.54 million.
• MSA Safety reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.99 topping estimates and revenue rising 10% year over year to $463.63 million.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.54 per share, while analysts currently have a Hold consensus rating with an average price target of $200.

SG Americas Securities LLC cut its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 88.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,386 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 68,623 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $1,539,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted 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 last quarter. eCIO Inc. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth about $50,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. DA Davidson dropped their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "hold" rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. 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 "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $200.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of MSA opened at $171.24 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $151.10 and a 12 month high of $208.92. The stock's 50-day moving average is $167.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92. The stock has a market cap of $6.61 billion, a PE ratio of 23.14 and a beta of 0.95.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $463.63 million for 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 was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.68 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is 29.19%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.