KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Cuts Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 5.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 9,300 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 500 shares during the quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $1,558,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% in the first quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. now owns 23,136 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,394,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.8% in the second quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 11,765 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,971,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.9% in the first quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 11,000 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,614,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.6% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 970 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $142,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. DA Davidson upped their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $182.00 target price on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $169.49 on Tuesday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $182.85. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $171.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $164.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The stock has a market cap of $6.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.18 and a beta of 0.99.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.24%.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total transaction of $400,213.11. Following the completion of the sale, the president owned 9,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,539,659.33. This trade represents a 20.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

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.