Envestnet Asset Management Inc. Raises Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 13.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 82,418 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 9,593 shares during the quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. owned about 0.21% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $12,090,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MSA. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 57.1% in the first quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 4,881 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $716,000 after purchasing an additional 1,775 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.0% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 29,074 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $4,265,000 after purchasing an additional 563 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter valued at $1,273,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5.7% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 165,642 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $24,298,000 after purchasing an additional 8,982 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the business's 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 transaction, the chairman owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their position. The transaction 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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MSA shares. B. Riley reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 target price for the company. DA Davidson boosted their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 0.6%

NYSE MSA traded up $0.99 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $177.37. 165,735 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 189,157. The stock has a market cap of $6.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.47 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $167.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $159.46. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $196.36.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.20%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is presently 29.24%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated 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.