M&G PLC Boosts Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

M&G PLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 5,607.2% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 722,251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 709,596 shares during the quarter. M&G PLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $121,338,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.4% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,027,471 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $297,410,000 after buying an additional 27,692 shares in the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.4% during the first quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,738,675 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $255,046,000 after acquiring an additional 384,365 shares during the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 14.4% during the second quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 813,762 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $136,330,000 after acquiring an additional 102,318 shares during the last quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC now owns 493,655 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $72,414,000 after purchasing an additional 13,460 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 420,655 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $61,706,000 after purchasing an additional 2,213 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $160.12 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 3.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.58 and a beta of 0.99. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $182.85. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $167.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $167.79.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $468.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $461.37 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.02% and a return on equity of 25.23%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.83 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.5625 per share. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 14th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total value of $400,213.11. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 9,083 shares in the company, valued at $1,539,659.33. This trade represents a 20.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $189.20.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide.