HBK Sorce Advisory LLC Has $689,000 Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

HBK Sorce Advisory LLC lowered its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 53.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,301 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 4,908 shares during the quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $689,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in MSA. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,792,712 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $607,365,000 after buying an additional 82,305 shares during the period. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $158,997,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in 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 buying an additional 16,576 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in 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 buying an additional 1,803 shares during the period. Finally, Madison Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $90,999,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA stock opened at $173.47 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 3.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The company has a market capitalization of $6.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.44 and a beta of 0.97. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $151.10 and a 12 month high of $208.92. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $169.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $172.89.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.54 dividend. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the industrial products company to purchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on MSA. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. DA Davidson dropped their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price 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.