MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by WINTON GROUP Ltd

Key Points

• WINTON GROUP Ltd cut its MSA Safety position by 89.2% in the second quarter, selling 31,596 shares and retaining 3,819 shares worth approximately $667,000. Institutional investors collectively own 92.51% of the company.
• MSA Safety reported quarterly EPS of $2.40, beating estimates of $2.14, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $503.33 million. The company also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.54, or $2.16 annually, yielding about 1.2%.
• The stock opened at $180.97, compared with a consensus analyst price target of $211.33; however, the overall analyst consensus remains “Hold.” Company insiders also recently sold shares, including the chairman’s $3.88 million transaction.

WINTON GROUP Ltd lessened its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 89.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,819 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 31,596 shares during the quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $667,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 3,033 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $486,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.7% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 8,755 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,435,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Allied Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total value of $3,879,800.00. Following the sale, 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Jonathan Buck sold 469 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total transaction of $89,579.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,776 shares of the company's stock, valued at $721,216. This trade represents a 11.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE:MSA opened at $180.97 on Tuesday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $183.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $175.31. 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 stock has a market cap of $6.98 billion, a PE ratio of 22.51 and a beta of 0.94. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $151.10 and a fifty-two week high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $496.27 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.93 earnings per share. Analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSA has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. B. Riley Financial downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $211.33.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated develops and manufactures safety equipment and systems designed to protect people in hazardous work environments. Its products include industrial and fixed-gas detection instruments, respiratory protection equipment, hard hats and other head protection, eye and face protection, hearing protection, fall-protection systems, and connected safety technologies.

The company serves customers in industries such as construction, manufacturing, utilities, oil and gas, mining, and emergency response.

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