Avantax Advisory Services Inc. Raises Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Avantax Advisory Services Inc. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 28.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,187 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 486 shares during the quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $321,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $100,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $144,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter worth $165,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.6%

MSA opened at $177.00 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 3.11. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $187.41. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $171.20 and its 200 day moving average is $160.71. The stock has a market cap of $6.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.25 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The company had revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $446.46 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.01 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is 30.24%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on MSA shares. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price target on the stock. DA Davidson lifted 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. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Finally, B. Riley reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 price target (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $189.20.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

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.