Cooke & Bieler LP Purchases 60,078 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Cooke & Bieler LP grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 9.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 711,444 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 60,078 shares during the quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP owned about 1.81% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $104,362,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $144,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% during the first quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. now owns 23,136 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,394,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 11,000 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,614,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chairman directly owned 35,401 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,710,889.32. This represents a 45.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

NYSE MSA traded down $0.30 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $174.85. The company's stock had a trading volume of 141,901 shares, compared to its average volume of 188,407. The company has a market capitalization of $6.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.12 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $197.02. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $166.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $159.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 2.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.21%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is 29.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on MSA shares. DA Davidson cut their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $185.20.

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.