Maryland State Retirement & Pension System Sells 384 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lowered its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 18.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,730 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 384 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $254,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the fourth 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. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 554.3% in the fourth 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. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 33.9% in the first quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 790,939 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $116,023,000 after acquiring an additional 200,221 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 36.7% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 438,374 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $72,669,000 after acquiring an additional 117,758 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 241.6% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 148,212 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $24,569,000 after acquiring an additional 104,829 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE MSA opened at $170.56 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $172.16 and a 200-day moving average of $160.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 3.11. The stock has a market cap of $6.68 billion, a PE ratio of 24.33 and a beta of 0.96. 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 earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.01 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. B. Riley reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $195.00 price target (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Finally, DA Davidson raised their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $189.20.

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.