ING Groep NV Has $323,000 Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

ING Groep NV lessened 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 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,200 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 3,500 shares during the period. ING Groep NV's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $323,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bayforest Capital Ltd boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% during the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position 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 worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $144,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA opened at $177.76 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $170.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $160.62. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $127.86 and a 1-year high of $187.41. The company has a market cap of $6.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.36 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.01%. The company had revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.01 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.24%.

Insider Activity

In related 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 directly owned 35,401 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, July 18th. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $189.20.

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.

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