Aberdeen Group plc Has $32.48 Million Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

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 reduced its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 2.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 221,400 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 4,419 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned about 0.56% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $32,477,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 55.4% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 2,193 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $364,000 after buying an additional 782 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 86.9% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 31,192 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,171,000 after acquiring an additional 14,504 shares in the last quarter. Mariner LLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 21.8% in the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 2,631 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $436,000 after purchasing an additional 471 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 554.3% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 760,794 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $126,118,000 after purchasing an additional 4,734 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MSA has been the subject of several recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price objective for the company. DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. B. Riley reissued 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. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA traded up $5.66 on Friday, reaching $176.37. The company had a trading volume of 37,039 shares, compared to its average volume of 207,210. The company's fifty day moving average is $172.47 and its 200 day moving average is $161.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 3.11. The stock has a market cap of $6.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.16 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $187.41.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%.The firm had revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $446.46 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.01 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. 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 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.