MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Shares Bought by LPL Financial LLC

LPL Financial LLC increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 0.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 75,358 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the quarter. LPL Financial LLC owned 0.19% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $11,054,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated 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 value 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MSA shares. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $195.00 price target (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price target on the stock. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of MSA opened at $177.00 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $171.20 and a 200-day simple moving average of $160.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.25 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 3.11. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $187.41.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The company’s revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.01 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 30.24%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated 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.