Norges Bank Makes New $66.88 Million Investment in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Norges Bank purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 417,620 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $66,878,000. Norges Bank owned 1.07% of MSA Safety Incorporporated as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Sanctuary Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 3,958 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $634,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $297,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 3,033 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $486,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.2% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 382 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Snowden Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,327 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $390,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA stock opened at $161.14 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The firm has a market cap of $6.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.78 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 simple moving average is $168.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $173.13.

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

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 paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.19%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the industrial products company to repurchase up to 6.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors 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.