Farther Finance Advisors LLC Grows Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 45.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,540 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 483 shares during the quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $227,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of MSA. Champlain Investment Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 99.2% during the fourth quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,354,310 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $224,504,000 after buying an additional 674,560 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter valued at about $72,693,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,131,515 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $187,573,000 after acquiring an additional 271,264 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter valued at about $43,689,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 554.3% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 284,552 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $47,170,000 after acquiring an additional 241,061 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 10th. B. Riley reissued a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 price target (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. DA Davidson lowered their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $191.80.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chairman now owns 35,401 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. This represents a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $164.98 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $157.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $159.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $200.61. The firm has a market cap of $6.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.76 and a beta of 0.95.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.09. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 27.65%. The firm had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $402.60 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.61 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.24%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

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.