ArrowMark Colorado Holdings LLC Raises Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

ArrowMark Colorado Holdings LLC lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 15.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 106,364 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 14,202 shares during the quarter. ArrowMark Colorado Holdings LLC owned 0.27% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $18,302,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $176.85 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $186.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $172.39. The firm has a market cap of $6.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.98 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $127.86 and a 1-year high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.01 and a quick ratio of 1.82.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its earnings results 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 net margin of 14.88% and a return on equity of 24.48%. The business had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $508.62 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.25 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.94%.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.