APG Asset Management N.V. Sells 14,459 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• APG Asset Management N.V. reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.8%, bringing its total holdings to approximately 1.83 million shares, valued at about $248 million.
• Several large investors, including Barclays PLC and Mariner LLC, have increased their positions in MSA Safety Incorporporated significantly during the fourth quarter.
• MSA Safety Incorporporated reported a higher-than-expected EPS of $1.93 for the last quarter, exceeding estimates and showing a year-over-year revenue increase of 2.5% to $474.12 million.

APG Asset Management N.V. lowered its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 0.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,826,119 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 14,459 shares during the period. MSA Safety Incorporporated comprises about 0.8% of APG Asset Management N.V.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. APG Asset Management N.V. owned approximately 4.65% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $247,985,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MSA. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,131,515 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $187,573,000 after purchasing an additional 271,264 shares during the period. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 33.9% in the 1st quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 790,939 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $116,023,000 after purchasing an additional 200,221 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 36.7% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 438,374 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $72,669,000 after purchasing an additional 117,758 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 241.6% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 148,212 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $24,569,000 after purchasing an additional 104,829 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter worth about $14,631,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson raised their target price 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. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 16th. Finally, B. Riley reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.7%

NYSE:MSA traded down $1.17 on Thursday, reaching $172.96. 62,872 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 206,513. The company has a market capitalization of $6.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.67 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 12 month low of $127.86 and a 12 month high of $187.41. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $173.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $161.37.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.24%.

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.