P2 Capital Partners LLC Acquires 49,332 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

P2 Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 36.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 185,675 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 49,332 shares during the quarter. MSA Safety Incorporporated accounts for approximately 7.6% of P2 Capital Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest position. P2 Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $29,734,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of MSA. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in 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 worth $6,953,000 after purchasing an additional 13,501 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter valued at about $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% during the first 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 in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the second 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,757 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $462,000 after buying an additional 661 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. The trade was a 13.27% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on the company. DA Davidson cut their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $200.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of MSA opened at $162.41 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.27 billion, a PE ratio of 21.95 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $151.10 and a 12 month high of $208.92. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $167.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $173.42. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted 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 firm had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.68 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the industrial products company to repurchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a $0.54 dividend. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. 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.