California State Teachers Retirement System Raises Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

California State Teachers Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 42,599 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 960 shares during the quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System owned 0.11% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $7,436,933 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. now owns 1,811,635 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $290,115,000 after purchasing an additional 106,349 shares during the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.0% during the 4th quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 899,030 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $143,971,000 after acquiring an additional 74,410 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 12.8% during the fourth quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 715,443 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $114,571,000 after acquiring an additional 81,249 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 656,801 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $105,204,000 after acquiring an additional 6,681 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Madison Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC now owns 588,568 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $96,496,000 after buying an additional 20,324 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.7%

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock traded down $1.35 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $179.46. 65,727 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 263,256. The business's 50 day moving average is $183.05 and its 200 day moving average is $175.31. The company has a market capitalization of $6.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.32 and a beta of 0.94. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $151.10 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The company has a current ratio of 3.24, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 16.13%.The firm had revenue of $503.33 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $496.27 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.93 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.2 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th were issued a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is 26.87%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on MSA shares. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. DA Davidson set a $223.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, B. Riley Financial lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $211.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 469 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total value of $89,579.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,776 shares in the company, valued at $721,216. This represents a 11.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total value of $3,879,800.00. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares in the company, valued at $9,762,352.76. The trade was a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated develops and manufactures safety equipment and systems designed to protect people in hazardous work environments. Its products include industrial and fixed-gas detection instruments, respiratory protection equipment, hard hats and other head protection, eye and face protection, hearing protection, fall-protection systems, and connected safety technologies.

The company serves customers in industries such as construction, manufacturing, utilities, oil and gas, mining, and emergency response.

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