Swedbank AB Has $3.19 Million Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Swedbank AB lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 730.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 19,889 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,493 shares during the period. Swedbank AB’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $3,185,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its stake in 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 during the last quarter. eCIO Inc. bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $171.50 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $169.87 and its 200-day moving average is $172.99. The stock has a market cap of $6.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.18 and a beta of 0.97. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $151.10 and a twelve month high of $208.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 3.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.68 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. DA Davidson reduced 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 note on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.00.

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.