MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Sets New 12-Month High Following Dividend Announcement

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday following a dividend announcement from the company. The company traded as high as $183.00 and last traded at $181.91, with a volume of 11934 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $180.12.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.90%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $186.50.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 1.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a current ratio of 3.08. The stock has a market cap of $7.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.08 and a beta of 0.97. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $163.22 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $168.24.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.04. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.02% and a return on equity of 25.24%. The company had revenue of $468.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $461.37 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.83 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $713,874. This trade represents a 6.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Penserra Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 397.7% during the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 219 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

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.