Cooke & Bieler LP increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 9.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 711,444 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 60,078 shares during the period. Cooke & Bieler LP owned approximately 1.81% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $104,362,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Champlain Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 99.2% during the fourth quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,354,310 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $224,504,000 after buying an additional 674,560 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at about $72,693,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,131,515 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $187,573,000 after purchasing an additional 271,264 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter worth about $43,689,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 554.3% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 284,552 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $47,170,000 after purchasing an additional 241,061 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.
MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance
MSA Safety Incorporporated stock traded down $0.30 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $174.85. The company had a trading volume of 141,901 shares, compared to its average volume of 188,180. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $197.02. The company has a market capitalization of $6.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.12 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a current ratio of 2.94, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company's fifty day moving average is $165.88 and its 200-day moving average is $159.17.
MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $402.60 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.61 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.
MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.21%. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.24%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MSA shares. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price objective on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reiterated 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 upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. Finally, DA Davidson lowered their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $185.20.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSA Safety Incorporporated
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total value of $4,839,600.00. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.
MSA Safety Incorporporated Profile
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Free Report)
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.
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