Cooke & Bieler LP Has $141.89 Million Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Cooke & Bieler LP lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 824,620 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,858 shares during the period. MSA Safety Incorporporated accounts for approximately 1.5% of Cooke & Bieler LP’s holdings, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Cooke & Bieler LP owned about 2.11% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $141,892,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,953,000 after buying an additional 13,501 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter valued at approximately $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,359 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 48.0% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 398 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the period. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its holdings 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 worth $1,971,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $181.34 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 3.08 and a quick ratio of 1.86. The firm has a market cap of $7.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.58 and a beta of 0.97. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $165.57 and its 200-day moving average is $168.48. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $185.54.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $468.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $461.37 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.24% and a net margin of 15.02%.MSA Safety Incorporporated’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.83 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 29.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on MSA. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Weiss Ratings cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $186.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $713,874. This represents a 6.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of safety products designed to protect workers in hazardous environments. The company’s offerings span personal protective equipment such as industrial helmets, face shields, protective clothing and fall protection devices, as well as fixed and portable gas detection and monitoring systems. MSA’s products are used in industries including oil and gas, mining, construction, fire service, and chemical processing to guard against risks such as gas leaks, impacts, flame exposure and falls from height.

Key product lines include self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and air-purifying respirators, gas detectors and sensors, head and face protection, and fall arrest systems.