GHP Investment Advisors Inc. Buys 6,900 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 88.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 14,660 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 6,900 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $2,403,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 126 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter valued at about $50,000. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MSA. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. 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 reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. The trade was a 13.27% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE:MSA opened at $170.12 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $167.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.46. 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 1-year low of $151.10 and a 1-year high of $208.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.99 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $463.63 million for 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 quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.68 EPS. Analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.19%.

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.