Sei Investments Co. Boosts Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• Sei Investments increased its MSA Safety stake by 6.1% in the first quarter to 205,135 shares valued at approximately $33.6 million. Institutional investors collectively own 92.51% of the company.
• MSA Safety exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.99 in EPS on $463.6 million in revenue, with revenue up 10% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.54 per share, implying a 1.2% yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $203.60, compared with the stock’s reported price of $175.44.

Sei Investments Co. lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 6.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 205,135 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 11,788 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. owned approximately 0.53% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $33,633,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $6,953,000 after acquiring an additional 13,501 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter worth about $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,359 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,757 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $462,000 after purchasing an additional 661 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE MSA opened at $175.44 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $167.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $174.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.71 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $151.10 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17.

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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.68 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. DA Davidson cut their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and set a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $203.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

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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