MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) CFO Acquires $71,093.12 in Stock

Key Points

• MSA Safety CFO Julie Beck bought 448 shares at $158.69 each, spending about $71,093 and increasing her direct stake by 13.27% to 3,825 shares.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, with EPS of $1.99 versus estimates of $1.85 and revenue rising 10% year over year to $463.63 million.
• MSA Safety also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.54 per share and has an approved $500 million share repurchase program, while analysts currently have an overall Hold rating with a $200 average price target.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) CFO Julie Beck bought 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares of the company's stock, valued at $606,989.25. This represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:MSA traded up $0.94 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $160.43. The company had a trading volume of 220,396 shares, compared to its average volume of 252,761. 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 has a 1-year low of $151.10 and a 1-year high of $208.92. The firm has a market cap of $6.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.69 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $168.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $173.36.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The business had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.68 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the industrial products company to reacquire up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.19%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on MSA shares. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. B. Riley Financial reissued a "buy" rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $200.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MSA. Comerica Bank lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 30.6% during the fourth quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 103,450 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $16,567,000 after buying an additional 24,260 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 123.6% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 46,775 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $8,049,000 after buying an additional 25,856 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4,827.4% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 338,411 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $58,230,000 after buying an additional 331,543 shares during the last quarter. MAI Capital Management raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,844.3% during the third quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 5,522 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $950,000 after buying an additional 5,382 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter valued at about $1,381,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

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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