Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Sells 6,319 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lessened its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 0.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 758,344 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 6,319 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 1.96% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $124,324,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Comerica Bank raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 30.6% in the 4th quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 103,450 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $16,567,000 after buying an additional 24,260 shares in the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.4% in the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 95,838 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $15,347,000 after acquiring an additional 9,840 shares during the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth about $1,243,000. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. now owns 1,811,635 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $290,115,000 after purchasing an additional 106,349 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth about $23,604,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.5%

NYSE:MSA opened at $175.44 on Tuesday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $151.10 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $167.48 and its 200-day moving average is $174.94. The firm has a market cap of $6.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.71 and a beta of 0.95.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $463.63 million for 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%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.68 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. This represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MSA shares. DA Davidson dropped their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.60.

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.