Copeland Capital Management LLC Grows Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Copeland Capital Management LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 19.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 214,970 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 34,638 shares during the quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC owned 0.55% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $31,534,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 120.6% in the fourth quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 225 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position 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 valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 81.3% during the 4th quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 330 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $100,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 35,401 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. 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 research report on Thursday, May 1st. DA Davidson decreased their price target on shares of 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. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $191.80.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:MSA traded down $2.06 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $167.10. 377,222 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 187,729. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $159.87 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $158.91. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $200.61. The stock has a market cap of $6.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.05 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.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $402.60 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.61 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast 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 given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.