Schroder Investment Management Group Grows Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• Schroder Investment Management Group raised its stake in MSA by 56.7% in Q3 to 320,216 shares (about 0.82% ownership), adding 115,902 shares and bringing its holding to roughly $54.8 million.
• MSA's board authorized a $500 million share buyback (up to ~6.6% of shares), and the company reported a quarterly EPS beat of $2.38 versus $2.26 with revenue of $510.9 million, up 2.3% year‑over‑year.
• Institutional ownership is high at 92.5%, analysts are split (three Buy, three Hold) with an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $202.17, while the stock trades around $183 (market cap ~$7.1B).

Schroder Investment Management Group lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 56.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 320,216 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 115,902 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group owned approximately 0.82% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $54,763,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 2nd quarter valued at about $158,997,000. Cooke & Bieler LP lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 824,620 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $141,892,000 after purchasing an additional 10,858 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 754,748 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $129,866,000 after purchasing an additional 16,576 shares during the last quarter. M&G PLC grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5,607.2% in the second quarter. M&G PLC now owns 722,251 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $121,338,000 after purchasing an additional 709,596 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 616,690 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $106,114,000 after purchasing an additional 1,803 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total value of $223,828.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at approximately $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. B. Riley Financial restated a "buy" rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $202.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.9%

MSA opened at $183.12 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.10 billion, a PE ratio of 25.87 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a current ratio of 3.01. The business's 50 day moving average price is $185.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $172.22.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The company had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $508.62 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.25 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the industrial products company to reacquire up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.94%.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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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