Schroder Investment Management Group Grows Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Schroder Investment Management Group lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 56.7% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 320,216 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 115,902 shares during the quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $54,763,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cooke & Bieler LP lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 824,620 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $141,892,000 after acquiring an additional 10,858 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 156,293 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,893,000 after acquiring an additional 3,600 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter valued at about $782,000. Alps Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter worth about $15,282,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.8% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 449,136 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $75,244,000 after purchasing an additional 28,481 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA stock opened at $183.12 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $185.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $172.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.01 and a quick ratio of 1.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.87 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 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 business had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.62 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is 29.94%.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $202.17.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated 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.