XTX Topco Ltd Makes New $390,000 Investment in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Key Points

• XTX Topco Ltd has made a new investment in MSA Safety Incorporated, purchasing 2,662 shares valued at approximately $390,000 in the first quarter.
• MSA Safety's stock recently experienced a 1.4% decline in value, opening at $174.54 with a market cap of $6.83 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, contributing to an annualized dividend yield of 1.2%.

XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 2,662 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $390,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $144,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% in the first quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. now owns 23,136 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $3,394,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% in the first 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.9% in the first quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 11,000 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,614,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of MSA opened at $174.54 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $127.86 and a 12 month high of $187.41. The stock's 50 day moving average is $171.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $160.77. The firm has a market cap of $6.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.90 and a beta of 0.96.

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 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%. The company had revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.01 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is currently 30.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MSA has been the subject of several research analyst reports. DA Davidson raised their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Wall Street Zen cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Finally, B. Riley reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $189.20.

Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the chairman directly owned 35,401 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.

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