Vest Financial LLC Boosts Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Vest Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 90.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 19,560 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,268 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $3,277,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.4% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,027,471 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $297,410,000 after purchasing an additional 27,692 shares during the period. Champlain Investment Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.4% in the first quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,738,675 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $255,046,000 after purchasing an additional 384,365 shares during the period. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 33.9% in the first quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 790,939 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $116,023,000 after purchasing an additional 200,221 shares during the period. Cooke & Bieler LP increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.2% in the first quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 711,444 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $104,362,000 after purchasing an additional 60,078 shares during the period. Finally, Channing Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.8% in the first quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC now owns 493,655 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $72,414,000 after purchasing an additional 13,460 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total transaction of $400,213.11. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 9,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,539,659.33. This trade represents a 20.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $182.00 target price on the stock. Finally, DA Davidson increased their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.8%

MSA opened at $167.97 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $6.57 billion, a PE ratio of 23.96 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $182.85. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $171.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $164.73.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%.The firm had revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $446.46 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.01 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.24%.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide.