MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporated by 2.9%, owning approximately 1.88% of the company after selling nearly 22,000 shares in the first quarter.
• Analysts have set varying price targets for MSA Safety, with DA Davidson raising its target from $183 to $203, while the consensus rating is currently a "Hold" with an average price target of $189.20.
• MSA Safety recently reported quarterly earnings of $1.93 EPS, surpassing analysts' expectations and showing a 2.5% increase in revenue year-over-year.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP reduced its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 2.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 738,853 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 21,941 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 1.88% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $108,384,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 80,802 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $11,853,000 after acquiring an additional 2,434 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.8% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 28,272 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $4,147,000 after acquiring an additional 6,314 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter worth approximately $14,631,000. Entropy Technologies LP grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 194.4% in the 1st quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 5,300 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $777,000 after acquiring an additional 3,500 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 420,655 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $61,706,000 after acquiring an additional 2,213 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE:MSA traded up $2.95 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $173.09. 61,853 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 206,409. 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 company has a market cap of $6.78 billion, a PE ratio of 24.69 and a beta of 0.96. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $173.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $161.29. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $187.41.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.01 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on MSA. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 target price for the company. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. DA Davidson boosted their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $189.20.

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.