MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Purchased by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 87.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,275 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 16,491 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned about 0.09% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $6,275,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 19.9% during the third quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 176,593 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $31,412,000 after buying an additional 29,289 shares during the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1,452.9% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 264 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 247 shares during the last quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 17.5% in the 3rd quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 2,338 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $425,000 after purchasing an additional 348 shares during the last quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $241,000. Finally, Diversified Management Inc. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,599,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MSA. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, October 10th. Finally, B. Riley Financial lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $211.33.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total value of $3,879,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,762,352.76. This represents a 28.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CAO Jonathan Buck sold 469 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total value of $89,579.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,776 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $721,216. The trade was a 11.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of MSA opened at $181.89 on Wednesday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $151.10 and a 12-month high of $208.92. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 3.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.52 and a beta of 0.92. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $184.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $175.49.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $503.33 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $496.27 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 16.13%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.93 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th were paid a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is currently 26.87%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated NYSE: MSA develops and manufactures safety products and systems designed to protect workers and facility operations. Its offerings include industrial and firefighter helmets, eye and face protection, hearing protection, respiratory protection, protective clothing, and fall-protection equipment.

The company also provides portable and fixed gas-detection systems, flame detection and suppression technologies, thermal imaging cameras, and related software and services.

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