MQS Management LLC Acquires New Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

MQS Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 6,019 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $883,000. MSA Safety Incorporporated accounts for about 0.5% of MQS Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Covestor Ltd lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $144,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. lifted its position in 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 lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% during the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.9% during 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 purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman owned 35,401 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. B. Riley reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price objective (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $191.80.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA stock traded down $2.12 on Friday, reaching $172.87. 87,227 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 188,316. The company has a market cap of $6.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.84 and a beta of 0.95. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $164.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $158.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $200.61.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $421.34 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $402.60 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 27.65%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.23%. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is currently 29.24%.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.