AQR Capital Management LLC Sells 4,717 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• AQR Capital Management LLC sold 4,717 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated, reducing its ownership by 8.1%, leaving it with approximately 53,201 shares valued at $7.8 million.
• JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.4%, now owning over 2 million shares worth $297 million, while multiple other institutional investors have also adjusted their holdings in the company.
• MSA Safety Incorporporated reported a quarterly EPS of $1.93, which exceeded analyst estimates, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, reflecting a yield of 1.2%.

AQR Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 8.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 53,201 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 4,717 shares during the quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.14% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $7,804,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MSA. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at $372,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,222 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $368,000 after buying an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 22,611 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,748,000 after buying an additional 536 shares during the last quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at $237,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 241.6% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 148,212 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $24,569,000 after purchasing an additional 104,829 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the subject of several research analyst reports. 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 research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price objective for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA traded up $0.50 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $168.82. The stock had a trading volume of 205,223 shares, compared to its average volume of 191,553. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $173.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $162.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $187.41. The stock has a market cap of $6.61 billion, a PE ratio of 24.08 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced 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 company had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.01 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is currently 30.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total transaction of $400,213.11. Following the sale, the president owned 9,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,539,659.33. This represents a 20.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

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.