ING Groep NV Reduces Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Key Points

• ING Groep NV significantly reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporated by 61.4% during the first quarter, holding now 2,200 shares valued at $323,000.
• MSA Safety Incorporated reported EPS of $1.93, exceeding analysts' expectations of $1.76, and recorded revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter.
• MSA Safety Incorporated declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, which will be paid on September 10, with a yield of 1.2% and a payout ratio of 30.24%.

ING Groep NV reduced its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 61.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,200 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 3,500 shares during the quarter. ING Groep NV's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $323,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 57.1% during the first quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 4,881 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $716,000 after acquiring an additional 1,775 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the 1st 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 last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 29,074 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $4,265,000 after buying an additional 563 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter worth approximately $1,273,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 13.2% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 82,418 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $12,090,000 after buying an additional 9,593 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 1.1%

NYSE:MSA traded down $1.91 on Monday, reaching $172.27. The company's stock had a trading volume of 31,458 shares, compared to its average volume of 204,869. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $187.41. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $171.43 and a 200 day moving average price of $160.71. The firm has a market cap of $6.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.58 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.01 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is presently 30.24%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. DA Davidson increased their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. B. Riley restated a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $189.20.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

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

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.