Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC Buys Shares of 1,752 MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Key Points

• Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC has made a new investment of approximately $257,000 in MSA Safety Incorporated, acquiring 1,752 shares during the first quarter of this year.
• Institutional investors hold a significant stake in MSA Safety, with 92.51% of the stock currently owned by them, including notable increases in holdings from firms like Natixis Advisors and Bayforest Capital.
• MSA Safety recently announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.53 per share, reflecting a positive growth from its previous dividend of $0.51.

Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 1,752 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $257,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Bayforest Capital Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% in the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $100,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $144,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE:MSA traded down $2.34 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $177.60. 121,226 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 205,176. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 2.94 and a quick ratio of 1.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.37 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $187.41. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $170.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $160.50.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.66%. The business had revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $446.46 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.01 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total value of $4,839,600.00. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 35,401 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price objective (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 target price on the stock. DA Davidson boosted their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $189.20.

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.