Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lessened its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 4.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 119,103 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 4,938 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC owned about 0.30% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $17,518,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Champlain Investment Partners LLC raised its stake 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 valued at $224,504,000 after purchasing an additional 674,560 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $72,693,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% during 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 acquiring an additional 271,264 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $43,689,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 554.3% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several research analysts have commented on MSA shares. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, June 27th. DA Davidson reduced their price objective on 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. Finally, B. Riley reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Two equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $191.80.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSA Safety Incorporporated
Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated
In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated 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 approximately $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 can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 1.3%
Shares of NYSE MSA traded up $2.24 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $175.77. The stock had a trading volume of 154,861 shares, compared to its average volume of 187,479. The company's 50 day moving average price is $162.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $158.74. 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 has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $200.61. The firm has a market cap of $6.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.24 and a beta of 0.95.
MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $421.34 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $402.60 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 27.65%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's quarterly revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.61 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.
MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.21%. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is currently 29.24%.
About MSA Safety Incorporporated
(
Free Report)
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.
Featured Articles

Before you consider MSA Safety Incorporporated, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and MSA Safety Incorporporated wasn't on the list.
While MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Enter your email address and we'll send you MarketBeat's list of seven best retirement stocks and why they should be in your portfolio.
Get This Free Report
Like this article? Share it with a colleague.
Link copied to clipboard.