Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. Has $290.12 Million Stock Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 6.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,811,635 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 106,349 shares during the quarter. MSA Safety Incorporporated comprises 4.5% of Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P.'s holdings, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. owned 4.63% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $290,115,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $6,953,000 after purchasing an additional 13,501 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter worth approximately $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,359 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,757 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $462,000 after buying an additional 661 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MSA. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. DA Davidson lowered their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $200.00.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $159.94 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $6.17 billion, a PE ratio of 21.61 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $151.10 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $167.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $173.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 3.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $463.63 million during 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 quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.68 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. This is a boost 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 (DPR) is currently 29.19%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the industrial products company to purchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

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.

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