MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA) Hits New 1-Year High at $147.75

MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA – Get Rating)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $147.75 and last traded at $145.54, with a volume of 26552 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $145.11.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TheStreet downgraded shares of MSA Safety from a “b-” rating to a “c” rating in a research note on Monday, May 1st. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety in a research report on Thursday. They issued a “hold” rating for the company.

MSA Safety Stock Down 1.0 %

The firm has a market cap of $5.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -844.88 and a beta of 0.94. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $133.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $135.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a current ratio of 2.84.

MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA – Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 1st. The industrial products company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.31. MSA Safety had a negative net margin of 0.38% and a positive return on equity of 27.70%. The company had revenue of $398.26 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $361.77 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.10 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 20.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporated will post 6 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 16th will be issued a $0.47 dividend. This is a positive change from MSA Safety’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.31%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 15th. MSA Safety’s payout ratio is -1,105.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 713 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.29, for a total value of $96,461.77. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 3,361 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $454,709.69. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other MSA Safety news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 713 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.29, for a total value of $96,461.77. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 3,361 shares in the company, valued at $454,709.69. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Rebecca B. Roberts sold 1,949 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.28, for a total value of $261,711.72. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 9,331 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,252,966.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 6.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety by 189.4% in the fourth quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 191 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank acquired a new position in MSA Safety during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. CWM LLC raised its position in MSA Safety by 49.4% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 263 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd increased its position in MSA Safety by 71.7% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 297 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Machina Capital S.A.S. acquired a new position in MSA Safety in the 1st quarter worth about $52,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.37% of the company’s stock.

About MSA Safety

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MSA Safety, Inc engages in the development, manufacture, and sale of innovative products, which enhance the safety and health of workers and protect facility infrastructures. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, International, and Corporate. The Americas segment includes manufacturing and research and development facilities in the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil.