Oak Thistle LLC Buys New Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Oak Thistle LLC bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 11,875 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,742,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $144,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% during the first quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. now owns 23,136 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,394,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.9% in the first quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 11,000 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,614,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock traded up $3.16 on Friday, reaching $180.03. 234,655 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 203,405. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $193.22. The firm's 50-day moving average is $167.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $159.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94. The company has a market capitalization of $7.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.83 and a beta of 0.95.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.09. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The firm had revenue of $421.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $402.60 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.61 EPS. The business's revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.18%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is presently 29.24%.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total value of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. DA Davidson increased their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price objective for the company. Finally, B. Riley reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 target price (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide.