MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by Impax Asset Management Group plc

Impax Asset Management Group plc cut its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 22.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,000 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 10,089 shares during the quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc owned 0.09% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $6,022,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MQS Management LLC purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter valued at about $510,000. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the third quarter valued at approximately $422,000. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 22.5% during the 3rd quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,253 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,076,000 after buying an additional 1,150 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 741.0% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 698 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $119,000 after buying an additional 615 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alps Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $15,282,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA stock opened at $197.40 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $172.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $169.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 3.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market cap of $7.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.84 and a beta of 0.98. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $197.55.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.02% and a return on equity of 25.24%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.25 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is 29.90%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $53,613.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $713,874. This trade represents a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MSA. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

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.