Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. Acquires 1,775 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 57.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,881 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,775 shares during the period. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc.'s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $716,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 29,074 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $4,265,000 after purchasing an additional 563 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.5% during the first quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 7,659 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,122,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% during the first quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. now owns 23,136 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,394,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 33.9% in the first quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 790,939 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $116,023,000 after buying an additional 200,221 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers LLC boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.0% during the first quarter. Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers LLC now owns 138,098 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $20,258,000 after acquiring an additional 1,331 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the topic of a number of research reports. B. Riley reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 10th. DA Davidson reduced their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Two equities research 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $191.80.

Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total value of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 35,401 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA stock traded up $1.38 during trading on Thursday, hitting $169.44. 153,932 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 187,024. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $159.36 and a 200 day simple moving average of $158.97. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $200.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.37 and a beta of 0.95.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.25%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is 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.