MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by UBS Group AG

Key Points

• UBS Group AG cut its stake in MSA Safety by 55.2% in the fourth quarter, selling 150,574 shares and leaving it with 122,397 shares worth about $19.6 million.
• MSA Safety reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $1.99 beating estimates and revenue rising 10% year over year to $463.63 million.
• The company also raised its dividend to $0.54 per share and has an active $500 million share buyback program in place.

UBS Group AG trimmed its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 55.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 122,397 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 150,574 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned about 0.31% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $19,601,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the 3rd 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. eCIO Inc. purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the third quarter worth about $43,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $180.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $200.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.7%

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $168.67 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $6.51 billion, a PE ratio of 22.79 and a beta of 0.97. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $151.10 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $173.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $172.25.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The business had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.68 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is currently 28.65%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the industrial products company to purchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated 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 value of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report).

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.