KBC Group NV Reduces Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

KBC Group NV cut its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 91.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,548 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 16,505 shares during the period. KBC Group NV's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $227,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Champlain Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 674,560 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $72,693,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% during the 4th 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 buying an additional 271,264 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $43,689,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 554.3% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 284,552 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $47,170,000 after buying an additional 241,061 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MSA. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley restated a "buy" rating and set 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 note on Friday, June 27th. Finally, DA Davidson cut their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $191.80.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the sale, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 2.5%

NYSE MSA traded down $4.35 during trading on Monday, reaching $171.42. 218,447 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 187,603. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $162.73 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $158.74. The stock has a market cap of $6.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.64 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $200.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $421.34 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.61 earnings per share. 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 business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.24%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend 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.