Teacher Retirement System of Texas Grows Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 1,330.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 33,143 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 30,826 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas owned approximately 0.08% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $4,862,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 57.1% during the first quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 4,881 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $716,000 after purchasing an additional 1,775 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 424,356 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $70,345,000 after purchasing an additional 6,119 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.0% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 29,074 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $4,265,000 after purchasing an additional 563 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,273,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 20,345.6% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 39,460 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,788,000 after acquiring an additional 39,267 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. DA Davidson reduced their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price target (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $191.80.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the transaction, the chairman directly owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA traded down $2.12 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $172.87. 87,227 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 188,033. The company's 50-day moving average is $164.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $159.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 2.94 and a quick ratio of 1.84. The company has a market capitalization of $6.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.84 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $200.61.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $402.60 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.61 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a $0.53 dividend. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.23%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.24%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company 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.