Natixis Advisors LLC Purchases 2,639 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporated by 23.7%, acquiring an additional 2,639 shares, bringing their total to 13,764 shares worth approximately $2,019,000.
• MSA Safety reported strong earnings with an EPS of $1.93, exceeding analysts' expectations, alongside a revenue increase of 2.5% year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, translating to an annualized yield of 1.2%, scheduled for payment on September 10th.

Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 23.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 13,764 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,639 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $2,019,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bayforest Capital Ltd raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% during the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% during the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $100,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% in the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $144,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $177.00 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.25 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $187.41. The company's fifty day moving average is $171.20 and its 200 day moving average is $160.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.01 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is currently 30.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total value of $4,839,600.00. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.