Entropy Technologies LP Buys 3,500 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Key Points

• Entropy Technologies LP significantly increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 194.4% during the first quarter, holding 5,300 shares valued at $777,000.
• MSA Safety recently reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.93, exceeding analyst expectations of $1.76, with revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $2.12 and a dividend yield of 1.2%.

Entropy Technologies LP lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 194.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,300 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,500 shares during the quarter. Entropy Technologies LP's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $777,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. now owns 23,136 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,394,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 11,000 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,614,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.6% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 970 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $142,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE:MSA traded down $0.72 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $169.47. The stock had a trading volume of 373,278 shares, compared to its average volume of 209,614. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $187.41. The stock has a market cap of $6.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.18 and a beta of 0.96. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $171.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $160.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 3.11.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.01 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 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 Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is 30.24%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on MSA. DA Davidson increased their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. B. Riley restated a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price objective for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide.