New York State Teachers Retirement System Sells 1,700 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

New York State Teachers Retirement System cut its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 3.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 42,451 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,700 shares during the period. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned about 0.11% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $6,227,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. US Bancorp DE boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,190 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $363,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its position in 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 during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 424,356 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $70,345,000 after purchasing an additional 6,119 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 60.0% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 12,670 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,100,000 after purchasing an additional 4,752 shares during the period. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,930,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MSA. B. Riley restated a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price target (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. DA Davidson dropped 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. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target 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 assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $191.80.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock traded down $0.38 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $173.95. 222,675 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 188,363. 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 has a 1-year low of $127.86 and a 1-year high of $200.61. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $163.85 and a 200-day moving average price of $158.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.84 billion, a PE ratio of 23.99 and a beta of 0.95.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its 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 net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 27.65%. The company had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $402.60 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.61 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated's quarterly revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th were given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.22%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is presently 29.24%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.