19,093 Shares in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Acquired by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor bought 19,093 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,130,000.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,953,000 after acquiring an additional 13,501 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter valued at approximately $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,359 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% during the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,757 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $462,000 after purchasing an additional 661 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. 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. 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. DA Davidson decreased their price objective 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. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 1.6%

NYSE MSA opened at $174.85 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $167.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.76. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $151.10 and a one year high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17. The firm has a market cap of $6.75 billion, a PE ratio of 23.63 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The business’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.68 earnings per share. Analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

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.