MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by AlphaQuest LLC

AlphaQuest LLC reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 64.7% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 8,323 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 15,269 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $1,333,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at approximately $158,997,000. Madison Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter valued at $90,999,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4,827.4% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 338,411 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $58,230,000 after acquiring an additional 331,543 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 193.0% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 236,729 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,660,000 after acquiring an additional 155,927 shares during the period. Finally, Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter valued at $23,604,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA stock opened at $170.43 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.03 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $169.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $173.07. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $151.10 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 3.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.68 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its board has authorized 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 purchase up to 6.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company 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 represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.19%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MSA shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. DA Davidson reduced their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 11th. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $200.00.

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.