MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. reduced its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 1.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 425,177 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 5,912 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 1.08% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $62,369,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 22,190 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.5% in 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 buying an additional 173,210 shares in the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 99.2% in 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 buying an additional 674,560 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in 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 buying an additional 271,264 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.2% in 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 buying an additional 24,733 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was 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 document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the subject of several research reports. B. Riley reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. DA Davidson lowered their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $188.00 to $183.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $191.80.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 2.5%

NYSE MSA traded down $4.35 on Monday, reaching $171.42. 218,447 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 187,603. The business's fifty day moving average price is $163.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $158.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.64 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. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $200.61.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 EPS 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 business had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $402.60 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.61 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

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