Teacher Retirement System of Texas Boosts Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 1,330.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 33,143 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 30,826 shares during the quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas owned 0.08% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $4,862,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Champlain Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 99.2% in the fourth quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,354,310 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $224,504,000 after purchasing an additional 674,560 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth $72,693,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,131,515 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $187,573,000 after buying an additional 271,264 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter valued at about $43,689,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 554.3% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 284,552 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $47,170,000 after purchasing an additional 241,061 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, June 27th. B. Riley reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, DA Davidson lowered their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $191.80.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was 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 directly owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE:MSA traded up $2.23 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $176.56. The company had a trading volume of 6,974 shares, compared to its average volume of 187,197. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $127.86 and a 1-year high of $200.61. The firm has a market cap of $6.94 billion, a PE ratio of 24.26 and a beta of 0.95. The business's 50 day moving average price is $163.51 and its 200-day moving average price is $158.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 2.94 and a quick ratio of 1.84.

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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The company had revenue of $421.34 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $402.60 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.61 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. 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 1.20%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is presently 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.