American Century Companies Inc. Cuts Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

American Century Companies Inc. reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 2.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 54,803 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,562 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned 0.14% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $8,039,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 80,802 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $11,853,000 after buying an additional 2,434 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.8% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 28,272 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,147,000 after buying an additional 6,314 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter worth about $14,631,000. Entropy Technologies LP boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 194.4% in the 1st quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 5,300 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $777,000 after buying an additional 3,500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 420,655 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $61,706,000 after buying an additional 2,213 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 2.3%

Shares of MSA opened at $174.06 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $173.19 and its 200-day moving average price is $161.37. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $187.41. The stock has a market cap of $6.81 billion, a PE ratio of 24.83 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%.The firm had revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $446.46 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.01 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal 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 given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.24%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on MSA shares. B. Riley reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price 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.