MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 6.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 71,378 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 5,242 shares during the quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC owned about 0.18% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $11,580,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,953,000 after purchasing an additional 13,501 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter worth approximately $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,359 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 20.6% in the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 4,159 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $697,000 after purchasing an additional 709 shares during the period. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 397.7% in the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 219 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total value of $223,828.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on MSA shares. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Wall Street Zen cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $205.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.14.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $164.94 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $184.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $172.37. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $208.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.30 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.82 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 for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 14.88% and a return on equity of 24.48%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.25 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to buy up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.94%.

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.