MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Shares Bought by Bessemer Group Inc.

Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 5.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 165,642 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 8,982 shares during the quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. owned about 0.42% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $24,298,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of MSA. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 120.6% during the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 225 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 81.3% in the 4th quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 330 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $100,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on MSA. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 10th. DA Davidson dropped their price target on 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. Finally, 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $191.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MSA opened at $169.44 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $6.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.37 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 2.94 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 business has a fifty day simple moving average of $159.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $158.97.

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 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 firm had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $402.60 million. During the same quarter last 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. Equities 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.25%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is currently 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.

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