Bessemer Group Inc. Raises Stock Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 5.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 165,642 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 8,982 shares during the quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. owned 0.42% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $24,298,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MSA. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 120.6% in the fourth quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 225 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of 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 worth $41,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 81.3% during the 4th quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 330 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $100,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of MSA traded up $0.23 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $167.56. 195,798 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 187,251. The company has a market capitalization of $6.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.11 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a current ratio of 2.94, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $200.61. The company's 50 day moving average is $160.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $158.53.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $402.60 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.61 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MSA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. B. Riley reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 target price (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report 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 given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $191.80.

Insider Activity

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated 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 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 filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated 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.