Perpetual Ltd Reduces Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• Perpetual Ltd reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporated by 25.2% in the second quarter, now owning 15,166 shares valued at approximately $2.54 million.
• MSA's stock recently opened at $170.81 and has a market capitalization of $6.69 billion, with a P/E ratio of 24.37.
• Analyst reports show a mix of opinions on MSA's stock, with two analysts rating it a "buy" and an average target price of $189.20.

Perpetual Ltd lowered its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 25.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,166 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 5,103 shares during the quarter. Perpetual Ltd's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $2,541,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Bayforest Capital Ltd grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% during the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in shares of 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 worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 115.4% during the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 293 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total transaction of $400,213.11. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 9,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,539,659.33. This represents a 20.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on MSA shares. DA Davidson raised their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:MSA traded down $1.02 on Tuesday, reaching $171.33. The company had a trading volume of 40,544 shares, compared to its average volume of 213,015. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $127.86 and a 52-week high of $183.18. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $172.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is $162.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.71 billion, a PE ratio of 24.46 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

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

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.