MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Bought by California Public Employees Retirement System

California Public Employees Retirement System grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 5.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 65,350 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,137 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System owned approximately 0.17% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $10,714,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 56.6% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 161,000 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,395,000 after purchasing an additional 58,220 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 29.6% during the 1st quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 14,361 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,354,000 after buying an additional 3,282 shares during the last quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.2% in the first quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 8,755 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,435,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 15,958.9% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 102,456 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $16,798,000 after buying an additional 101,818 shares during the period. Finally, Simplicity Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter worth $252,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 0.5%

MSA stock opened at $174.90 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $151.10 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The company has a market capitalization of $6.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.64 and a beta of 0.95. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $167.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $174.85. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.68 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a dividend of $0.54 per share. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is 29.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $606,989.25. This represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. DA Davidson cut their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $203.60.

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.