HighTower Advisors LLC Trims Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

HighTower Advisors LLC cut its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 11.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,577 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 752 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $818,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. now owns 23,136 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,394,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 11,000 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,614,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 970 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $142,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE MSA opened at $174.06 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 3.11. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $187.41. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $173.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $161.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.83 and a beta of 0.96.

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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.01 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MSA shares. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. DA Davidson lifted their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 16th. B. Riley reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price objective for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus 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.