KBC Group NV Trims Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

KBC Group NV lowered its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 91.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,548 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 16,505 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $227,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 57.1% in the first quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 4,881 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $716,000 after purchasing an additional 1,775 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 424,356 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $70,345,000 after buying an additional 6,119 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 29,074 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $4,265,000 after buying an additional 563 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter valued at $1,273,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 20,345.6% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 39,460 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $5,788,000 after buying an additional 39,267 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. B. Riley reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $195.00 price objective (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. DA Davidson cut their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 5th. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $191.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the sale, the chairman owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at $5,710,889.32. This represents a 45.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $175.77 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $162.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $158.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 2.94 and a quick ratio of 1.84. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $127.86 and a 1-year high of $200.61. The company has a market cap of $6.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.24 and a beta of 0.95.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly 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. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The company had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $402.60 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.61 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.21%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 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.