Baillie Gifford & Co. Sells 10,091 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Baillie Gifford & Co. reduced its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 10.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 82,982 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 10,091 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. owned 0.21% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $14,279,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter valued at about $158,997,000. Cooke & Bieler LP grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 14.4% in the second quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 813,762 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $136,330,000 after purchasing an additional 102,318 shares in the last quarter. M&G PLC increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5,607.2% during the 2nd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 722,251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $121,338,000 after purchasing an additional 709,596 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 12.2% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 614,887 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $103,012,000 after purchasing an additional 66,977 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Channing Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC now owns 516,459 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $86,522,000 after buying an additional 22,804 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $186.50.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA stock opened at $181.34 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $185.54. The company has a market capitalization of $7.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.58 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $165.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $168.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a current ratio of 3.08.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $468.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $461.37 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.24% and a net margin of 15.02%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.83 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

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

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total value of $53,613.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $713,874. This represents a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

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.