Allianz Asset Management GmbH Trims Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Key Points

• Allianz Asset Management GmbH has reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporated by 30.8%, selling 8,223 shares and retaining 18,457 shares valued at $2.7 million.
• MSA Safety Incorporated recently announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.53, representing a yield of 1.19% with a payout ratio of 29.24%.
• Wall Street analysts have mixed ratings on MSA Safety, with a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $189.20.

Allianz Asset Management GmbH reduced its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 30.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 18,457 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 8,223 shares during the quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $2,707,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cooke & Bieler LP raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.2% during the first quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 711,444 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $104,362,000 after acquiring an additional 60,078 shares in the last quarter. MQS Management LLC acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter worth about $883,000. Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter valued at approximately $10,894,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System boosted its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.5% during the first quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 10,163 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,491,000 after purchasing an additional 348 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 1.5%

MSA traded down $2.71 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $175.16. The company had a trading volume of 220,561 shares, compared to its average volume of 175,110. 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 stock's 50 day moving average price is $169.88 and its 200 day moving average price is $160.31. The company has a market capitalization of $6.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.16 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $187.41.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $421.34 million for 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 period in the previous year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is 29.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MSA has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, July 18th. DA Davidson boosted 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 report on Tuesday, July 22nd. B. Riley restated a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 target price on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $189.20.

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.