Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD Sells 9,065 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporated by 0.8%, owning 1,122,450 shares valued at $164.65 million as of the end of the first quarter.
• MSA Safety's most recent earnings report showed $1.93 EPS, exceeding estimates by $0.17, with revenue of $474.12 million, reflecting a 2.5% year-over-year increase.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53, with an annualized yield of 1.2%, payable on September 10th to shareholders of record on August 15th.

Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD cut its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 0.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,122,450 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 9,065 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD owned approximately 2.86% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $164,654,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Martingale Asset Management L P raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 85.8% during the first quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 63,618 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $9,332,000 after purchasing an additional 29,375 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter worth about $235,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter worth about $263,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5.2% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 277,269 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $40,673,000 after acquiring an additional 13,717 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cresset Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 11,273 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,654,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE MSA traded down $1.16 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $172.97. 204,415 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 207,487. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 3.11. The stock has a market cap of $6.77 billion, a PE ratio of 24.67 and a beta of 0.96. The company's fifty day moving average is $173.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $161.37. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $187.41.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. B. Riley reissued 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. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 16th. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. 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 research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $189.20.

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.