29,129 Shares in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Purchased by Heartland Advisors Inc.

Heartland Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 29,129 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,776,000. Heartland Advisors Inc. owned approximately 0.08% of MSA Safety Incorporporated as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. eCIO Inc. bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of 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, Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter worth $50,000. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSA has been the subject of several research reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated 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. DA Davidson lowered their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target 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 assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $203.60.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $170.91 on Monday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $151.10 and a one year high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $167.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $174.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.60 billion, a PE ratio of 23.10 and a beta of 0.95.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.68 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 29.19%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated 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.