Heartland Advisors Inc. Makes New $4.78 Million Investment in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Heartland Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 29,129 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,776,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. California Public Employees Retirement System raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5.0% during the 1st quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 65,350 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $10,714,000 after purchasing an additional 3,137 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 56.6% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 161,000 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,395,000 after purchasing an additional 58,220 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 29.6% in the 1st quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 14,361 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,354,000 after purchasing an additional 3,282 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 8,755 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,435,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 15,958.9% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 102,456 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $16,798,000 after buying an additional 101,818 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. The trade was a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $170.91 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92. 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 $6.60 billion, a PE ratio of 23.10 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $167.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $174.56.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th were given a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.19%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. DA Davidson lowered their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday. 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 presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.60.

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.