AQR Capital Management LLC Has $7.80 Million Stock Position in 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 cut its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 8.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 53,201 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 4,717 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC owned about 0.14% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $7,804,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Champlain Investment Partners LLC boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.4% during the 1st quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,738,675 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $255,046,000 after purchasing an additional 384,365 shares during the period. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 33.9% during the 1st quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 790,939 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $116,023,000 after purchasing an additional 200,221 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in 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 period. Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $14,631,000. Finally, Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter worth $10,894,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total transaction of $400,213.11. Following the completion of the sale, the president owned 9,083 shares in the company, 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 can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA traded down $0.26 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $169.01. The stock had a trading volume of 165,548 shares, compared to its average volume of 208,473. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $187.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 3.11 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $173.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $162.13. The company has a market capitalization of $6.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.11 and a beta of 0.96.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%.MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.01 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on MSA shares. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 16th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $189.20.

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.