Perpetual Ltd Has $2.97 Million Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Perpetual Ltd trimmed its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 48.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 20,269 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 19,193 shares during the period. Perpetual Ltd owned about 0.05% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $2,973,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,883,844 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $643,825,000 after purchasing an additional 22,190 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.5% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,999,779 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $331,503,000 after acquiring an additional 173,210 shares during the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 99.2% during 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 acquiring an additional 674,560 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% during the fourth 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 acquiring an additional 271,264 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 806,438 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $133,718,000 after acquiring an additional 24,733 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

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 now owns 35,401 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on MSA. DA Davidson cut 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. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. B. Riley reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set 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, Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $191.80.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA stock opened at $167.10 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.57 billion, a PE ratio of 23.05 and a beta of 0.95. The company's 50-day moving average is $159.87 and its 200-day moving average is $158.91. 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.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $402.60 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 27.65%. The business's revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.61 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders 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 1.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is 29.24%.

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.

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