Perpetual Ltd Cuts Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

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

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% in 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. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% in the first quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. now owns 23,136 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,394,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted 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 buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 10,851 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,799,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares during the period. Finally, US Bancorp DE increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,190 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $363,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock traded up $3.94 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $171.47. 103,935 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 187,016. The company's fifty day moving average is $160.83 and its 200-day moving average is $158.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $200.61. The firm has a market cap of $6.74 billion, a PE ratio of 23.63 and a beta of 0.95.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last issued 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. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The company had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $402.60 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.61 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.24%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is presently 29.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 represents a 45.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. B. Riley reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. DA Davidson cut 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 report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $191.80.

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.