SG Americas Securities LLC Decreases Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

SG Americas Securities LLC cut its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 88.0% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 9,386 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 68,623 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $1,539,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MSA. Pullen Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.4% in the first quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC now owns 16,404 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,689,000 after purchasing an additional 378 shares during the last quarter. MidFirst Bank acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $481,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 2,409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $386,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 59,849 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $9,584,000 after purchasing an additional 5,531 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gotham Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 56.3% in the 4th quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 47,321 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $7,578,000 after purchasing an additional 17,049 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA opened at $171.24 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.61 billion, a PE ratio of 23.14 and a beta of 0.95. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $167.19 and its 200 day moving average price is $173.87. 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 12-month low of $151.10 and a 12-month high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $463.63 million during 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.68 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm 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. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on MSA shares. Weiss Ratings cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. DA Davidson dropped their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 11th. 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. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated has a consensus 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.