Russell Investments Group Ltd. Purchases 6,314 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.8% during the first quarter, buying 6,314 additional shares to reach a total of 28,272 shares worth $4.14 million.
• MSA Safety Incorporporated reported a quarterly EPS of $1.93, exceeding analysts' estimates of $1.76, and had a 2.5% increase in revenue year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, representing a 1.2% yield and a payout ratio of 30.24%.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 28.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,272 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 6,314 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.07% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $4,147,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of MSA. Nuveen LLC bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter valued at $14,631,000. Entropy Technologies LP boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 194.4% in the 1st quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 5,300 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $777,000 after purchasing an additional 3,500 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 420,655 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $61,706,000 after purchasing an additional 2,213 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 970 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $142,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,027,471 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $297,410,000 after purchasing an additional 27,692 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on MSA. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. B. Riley reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MSA traded down $1.16 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $172.97. 204,415 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 232,029. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $173.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $161.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.77 billion, a PE ratio of 24.67 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $127.86 and a 12 month high of $187.41. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The firm had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $446.46 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.01 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated 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.