Allianz Asset Management GmbH Trims Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Allianz Asset Management GmbH lowered its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 90.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,732 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 16,069 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $298,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth about $158,997,000. M&G PLC grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5,607.2% in the second quarter. M&G PLC now owns 722,251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $121,338,000 after purchasing an additional 709,596 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at approximately $52,167,000. Schroder Investment Management Group increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4,260.1% during the second quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 204,314 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $34,188,000 after purchasing an additional 199,628 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westwood Holdings Group Inc. purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth approximately $27,988,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $202.44 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.93 billion, a PE ratio of 28.59 and a beta of 0.98. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $208.92. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $174.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $169.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a current ratio of 3.01.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 14.88% and a return on equity of 24.46%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.25 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders 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 yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.94%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $713,874. This trade represents a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the subject of several research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $189.20.

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.