Handelsbanken Fonder AB Grows Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 14.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 216,844 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 26,600 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned approximately 0.55% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $37,312,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter valued at $158,997,000. Cooke & Bieler LP raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 824,620 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $141,892,000 after buying an additional 10,858 shares during the period. M&G PLC raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5,607.2% in the 2nd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 722,251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $121,338,000 after buying an additional 709,596 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 12.2% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 614,887 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $103,012,000 after buying an additional 66,977 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Channing Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.6% during the second quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC now owns 516,459 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $86,522,000 after buying an additional 22,804 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $195.69 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $181.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $171.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.59 billion, a PE ratio of 27.64 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 3.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The company’s revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.25 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the industrial products company to reacquire up to 6.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.94%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Finally, B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $202.17.

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.