SG Americas Securities LLC Acquires 60,827 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 354.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 78,009 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 60,827 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $12,492,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Diversified Trust Co. lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 16.7% during the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 14,284 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,287,000 after buying an additional 2,040 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 18.0% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,421 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $241,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 33.8% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 638 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $102,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. Mirabella Financial Services LLP acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the third quarter valued at about $227,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.2% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 382 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on MSA shares. B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $202.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $165.50 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 3.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $186.05 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $172.54. The company has a market cap of $6.42 billion, a PE ratio of 23.38 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The company had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.62 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.94%.

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.