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

Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 1,330.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 33,143 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 30,826 shares during the quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas owned approximately 0.08% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $4,862,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MSA. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $100,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $144,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter valued at about $165,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on MSA shares. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 target price (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. 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. Finally, DA Davidson reduced their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Two investment 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 company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $191.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the chairman owned 35,401 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of MSA traded up $2.95 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $174.49. 212,928 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 207,563. The stock's 50-day moving average is $163.10 and its 200-day moving average is $158.72. The company has a market cap of $6.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.07 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $200.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors 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 was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.21%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.