Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC Has $116.02 Million Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 33.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 790,939 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 200,221 shares during the quarter. MSA Safety Incorporporated comprises about 1.7% of Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC owned 2.01% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $116,023,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 120.6% during the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 225 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 97.6% in the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 251 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position 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 worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% during the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 81.3% during the fourth quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 330 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock traded up $0.84 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $164.98. 271,015 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 186,930. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.76 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $127.86 and a 1-year high of $200.61. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $157.01 and its 200 day moving average price is $159.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 2.94 and a quick ratio of 1.84.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.29%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is 29.24%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 10th. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, DA Davidson cut their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $191.80.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total value of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 35,401 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. This represents a 45.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 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.