Nisa Investment Advisors LLC Has $510,000 Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 3.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,478 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 110 shares during the quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $510,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $100,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $144,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the period. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter worth about $165,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 27th. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday. They set a “hold” rating and a $182.00 target price on the stock. Finally, DA Davidson cut their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $185.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $171.69 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.68 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $165.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $159.11. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $200.60. 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 (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $421.34 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $402.60 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 27.65%. The business’s revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.23%. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.24%.

Insider Activity 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 value of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.