MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Stock Acquired by ProShare Advisors LLC

ProShare Advisors LLC grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 3.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 159,258 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,588 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC owned about 0.41% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $28,329,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MSA. Giverny Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth approximately $29,034,000. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 15,958.9% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 102,456 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $16,798,000 after purchasing an additional 101,818 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2,490.2% in the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 89,517 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $15,628,000 after purchasing an additional 86,061 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 42.5% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 218,070 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $35,752,000 after purchasing an additional 65,002 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 56.6% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 161,000 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,395,000 after purchasing an additional 58,220 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 469 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total transaction of $89,579.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,776 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $721,216. This trade represents a 11.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total value of $3,879,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 50,324 shares in the company, valued at $9,762,352.76. This trade represents a 28.44% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.0%

MSA stock opened at $178.52 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $6.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.20 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $182.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $178.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.24 and a quick ratio of 2.02. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $151.10 and a 12 month high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $503.33 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $496.27 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.13%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.93 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 13th will be issued a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.87%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MSA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. B. Riley Financial cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $211.33.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE: MSA) develops and manufactures safety products and systems designed to protect workers and facility operations. Its offerings include industrial and firefighter helmets, eye and face protection, hearing protection, respiratory protection, protective clothing, and fall-protection equipment.

The company also provides portable and fixed gas-detection systems, flame detection and suppression technologies, thermal imaging cameras, and related software and services.