Bank of New York Mellon Corp Lowers Stock Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Bank of New York Mellon Corp reduced its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 0.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 764,491 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 3,143 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned about 1.95% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $112,143,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 57.1% during the 1st quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 4,881 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $716,000 after acquiring an additional 1,775 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 424,356 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $70,345,000 after purchasing an additional 6,119 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.0% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 29,074 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $4,265,000 after buying an additional 563 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter valued at $1,273,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the sale, the chairman owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price target (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, DA Davidson dropped their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $191.80.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE MSA traded down $2.12 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $172.87. 87,227 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 188,048. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $200.61. The firm has a market cap of $6.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.84 and a beta of 0.95. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $164.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $159.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The firm had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $402.60 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.61 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.23%. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.24%.

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.