Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. Sells 9,605 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 47.4%, selling 9,605 shares, and now holds 10,658 shares valued at $1,563,000.
• The company reported a Earnings Per Share (EPS) of $1.93 for the last quarter, exceeding the consensus estimate of $1.76, with a revenue of $474.12 million.
• MSA Safety Incorporporated announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, yielding 1.2% annually, with a payout ratio of 30.24%.

Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. reduced its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 47.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,658 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 9,605 shares during the period. Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P.'s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $1,563,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,131,515 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $187,573,000 after buying an additional 271,264 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 554.3% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 284,552 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $47,170,000 after buying an additional 241,061 shares during the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 33.9% in the 1st quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 790,939 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $116,023,000 after buying an additional 200,221 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 36.7% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 438,374 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $72,669,000 after buying an additional 117,758 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 241.6% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 148,212 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $24,569,000 after buying an additional 104,829 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSA has been the topic of several recent research reports. DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price objective (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA stock traded up $5.2520 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $175.9620. 167,829 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 235,136. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.10 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 3.11. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $172.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $161.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $187.41.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.01 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is presently 30.24%.

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.