Vest Financial LLC Purchases 3,662 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Vest Financial LLC lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 15.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 26,629 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,662 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $4,264,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during 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. eCIO Inc. bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. First Horizon Corp bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter worth about $43,000. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $205.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, 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 note on Tuesday, March 31st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.14.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA stock opened at $164.14 on Thursday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $150.65 and a one year high of $208.92. The company has a market capitalization of $6.37 billion, a PE ratio of 23.18 and a beta of 1.05. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $176.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $172.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a current ratio of 3.01.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The company had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.62 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.25 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the industrial products company to reacquire up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company 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.