MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by Aberdeen Group plc

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporated by 2.0%, selling 4,419 shares and retaining approximately 221,400 shares worth $32.5 million.
• Analysts have mixed ratings on MSA, with three giving a hold rating and three a buy rating, while the consensus target price is set at $189.20.
• MSA Safety recently reported earnings of $1.93 per share, beating estimates, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, reflecting a dividend yield of 1.3%.

Aberdeen Group plc trimmed its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 2.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 221,400 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 4,419 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned approximately 0.56% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $32,477,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% in 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 acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings 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. lifted its holdings 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. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its holdings 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. Finally, Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.6% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 970 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $142,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSA has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 target price (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 target price for the company. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. DA Davidson raised their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MSA traded down $0.7750 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $170.5050. 159,830 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 208,932. The stock has a market cap of $6.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.32 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $187.41. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $172.25 and a 200-day moving average price of $161.04.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The firm had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $446.46 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.01 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is presently 30.24%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated 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.