Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. Increases Stock Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 100.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,775 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 3,900 shares during the quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc.’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $1,245,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $297,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 19.8% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 477 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $82,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.2% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 382 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,327 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $390,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 11,850 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,039,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $172.17 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $183.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $172.29. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $140.60 and a 12 month high of $208.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.32 and a beta of 1.05. 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 announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The business had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.62 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

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

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MSA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $205.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Wall Street Zen cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.14.

Insider Activity 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 completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $658,054.32. This represents a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.