Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. Purchases New Shares in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• Oppenheimer Asset Management acquired 10,143 shares of MSA Safety, valued at approximately $1.77 million. Institutional investors collectively own 92.51% of the company.
• MSA Safety exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.40 in EPS versus a $2.14 consensus estimate and revenue of $503.33 million, up 6.2% year over year.
• Analysts maintain a generally cautious outlook, with the stock carrying a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $211.33. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.54 per share, representing a 1.1% yield.

Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 10,143 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,771,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter worth about $158,997,000. Madison Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $90,999,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $66,878,000. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1,447.3% in the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 363,177 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $58,159,000 after purchasing an additional 339,705 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 233.9% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 452,505 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $72,464,000 after purchasing an additional 316,975 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. DA Davidson set a $223.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. B. Riley Financial cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $211.33.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA opened at $189.11 on Monday. The company's 50 day moving average price is $173.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $175.92. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $151.10 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The company has a market capitalization of $7.30 billion, a PE ratio of 23.52 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 3.24.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The firm had revenue of $503.33 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $496.27 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.93 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is 26.87%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 469 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total transaction of $89,579.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,776 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $721,216. This trade represents a 11.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total value of $3,879,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 50,324 shares in the company, valued at $9,762,352.76. This trade represents a 28.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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