Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. Has $290.12 Million Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 6.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,811,635 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 106,349 shares during the period. MSA Safety Incorporporated comprises approximately 4.5% of Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P.’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P.’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $290,115,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,792,712 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $607,365,000 after acquiring an additional 82,305 shares in the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.0% in the fourth quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 899,030 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $143,971,000 after acquiring an additional 74,410 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 764,663 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $122,460,000 after acquiring an additional 9,915 shares in the last quarter. M&G PLC grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. M&G PLC now owns 728,727 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $116,596,000 after acquiring an additional 4,899 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fiduciary Management Inc. WI grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 12.8% in the fourth quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 715,443 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $114,571,000 after acquiring an additional 81,249 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $606,989.25. The trade was a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $159.94 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $167.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $173.27. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $151.10 and a 1-year high of $208.92. The firm has a market cap of $6.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.61 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.68 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has approved a share buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the industrial products company to repurchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 29.19%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MSA. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, DA Davidson reduced their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.00.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.