MQS Management LLC Purchases New Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

MQS Management LLC bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 6,019 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $883,000. MSA Safety Incorporporated makes up approximately 0.5% of MQS Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Champlain Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 99.2% in the fourth quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,354,310 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $224,504,000 after purchasing an additional 674,560 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $72,693,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,131,515 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $187,573,000 after buying an additional 271,264 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $43,689,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 554.3% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 284,552 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $47,170,000 after purchasing an additional 241,061 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MSA shares. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. 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 cut their price objective on 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. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $185.20.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the transaction, the chairman directly owned 35,401 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE MSA traded up $1.02 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $171.69. The stock had a trading volume of 170,020 shares, compared to its average volume of 188,240. The company has a market capitalization of $6.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.68 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $127.86 and a 1-year high of $200.60. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 2.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $165.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $159.11.

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 analysts' consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $402.60 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.61 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated's quarterly revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current 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 issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.23%. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.24%.

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.