New York State Teachers Retirement System Sells 1,700 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

New York State Teachers Retirement System trimmed its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 3.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 42,451 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,700 shares during the quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned 0.11% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $6,227,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Champlain Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 674,560 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $72,693,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,131,515 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $187,573,000 after purchasing an additional 271,264 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth approximately $43,689,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP increased 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 purchasing an additional 241,061 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA opened at $175.77 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $162.73 and a 200 day moving average of $158.74. The stock has a market cap of $6.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.24 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 2.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $127.86 and a 52-week high of $200.61.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $421.34 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $402.60 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.21%. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is 29.24%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on MSA shares. DA Davidson lowered their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 27th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Two 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 stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $191.80.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 35,401 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.