KBC Group NV Trims Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

KBC Group NV decreased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 91.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,548 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 16,505 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $227,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during 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 last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $144,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter worth $165,000. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on MSA. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 target price (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. DA Davidson cut their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, June 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $191.80.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated 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 transaction, the chairman owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. This represents a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 1.1%

NYSE:MSA traded up $1.84 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $175.28. 134,312 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 188,148. The company has a fifty day moving average of $163.85 and a 200 day moving average of $158.94. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $200.61. The company has a market capitalization of $6.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.18 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.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.21%. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.24%.

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.