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 MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 3.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor 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 0.11% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $6,227,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. 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. raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% during the first 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. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% during the first 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. Finally, Covestor Ltd lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $144,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on MSA shares. DA Davidson lowered 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 research report on Monday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. B. Riley reiterated 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. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on 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 issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $191.80.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE MSA traded up $2.24 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $175.77. 154,861 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 187,479. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.24 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. The company's 50 day moving average price is $162.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $158.74. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $127.86 and a 12 month high of $200.61.

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 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $402.60 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.61 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.21%. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.