Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC Sells 3,816 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC cut its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 5.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 67,562 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 3,816 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC owned 0.17% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $11,239,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MSA. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 29.6% in the 1st quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 14,361 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,354,000 after purchasing an additional 3,282 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System raised its stake in shares of 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 lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 15,958.9% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 102,456 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $16,798,000 after buying an additional 101,818 shares in the last quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter valued at about $252,000. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 38.0% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,450 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $402,000 after acquiring an additional 675 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSA has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Two equities research 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.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $203.60.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $171.59 on Thursday. 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 company has a market cap of $6.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.19 and a beta of 0.95. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $167.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $174.76. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $151.10 and a 52-week high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The business had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.68 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.19%.

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.