Thematics Asset Management Trims Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Thematics Asset Management trimmed its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 13.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 86,935 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 13,365 shares during the period. Thematics Asset Management owned approximately 0.22% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $14,959,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at $158,997,000. Cooke & Bieler LP lifted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 10,858 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 754,748 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $129,866,000 after purchasing an additional 16,576 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 616,690 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $106,114,000 after purchasing an additional 1,803 shares during the period. Finally, Channing Capital Management LLC grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.6% during the 2nd 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 last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 1.4%

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $176.85 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $208.92. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $186.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $172.38. The company has a current ratio of 3.01, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.98 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.62 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.25 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the industrial products company to buy up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.94%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company 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.