Hantz Financial Services Inc. Grows Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 294.1% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 8,489 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,335 shares during the quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $1,359,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings 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 valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Picton Mahoney Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at $50,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of MSA stock opened at $171.50 on Thursday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $151.10 and a 1-year high of $208.92. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $169.87 and its 200 day moving average price is $172.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92. The company has a market cap of $6.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.18 and a beta of 0.97.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The firm had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.68 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the industrial products company to purchase 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 Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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 is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.19%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MSA. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. DA Davidson cut their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.00.

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.