MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Bought by Swedbank AB

Swedbank AB increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 730.1% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 19,889 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 17,493 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $3,185,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 15.8% during the fourth quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 7,238 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,159,000 after acquiring an additional 985 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 10.3% during the fourth quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 13,745 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,201,000 after acquiring an additional 1,285 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 36.7% during the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 2,982 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $478,000 after acquiring an additional 800 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 15.9% during the fourth quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 26,629 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,264,000 after acquiring an additional 3,662 shares during the period. Finally, M&T Bank Corp grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 11,475 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,838,000 after acquiring an additional 236 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $204.83.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.3%

NYSE:MSA opened at $169.70 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 3.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. 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 $6.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.93 and a beta of 0.97. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $174.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $172.23.

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 for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The business had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.68 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.83 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.65%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to repurchase up to 6.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.