UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC Cuts Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• UBS AM has reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 21.1%, selling 142,743 shares during the first quarter, leaving them with approximately 1.36% of the company's shares valued at $78.2 million.
• Analysts have been positive on MSA, with DA Davidson raising the price target from $183 to $203 and both Wall Street Zen and another firm upgrading their ratings to "buy."
• MSA reported earnings of $1.93 per share for the quarter, surpassing expectations, with quarterly revenue of $474.12 million, marking a 2.5% increase year-over-year.

UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC decreased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 21.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 533,175 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 142,743 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC owned 1.36% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $78,211,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bayforest Capital Ltd raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% in the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 24.7% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 682 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $100,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.6% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 970 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $142,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total value of $400,213.11. Following the completion of the sale, the president owned 9,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,539,659.33. This represents a 20.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 target price on the stock. Finally, DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MSA traded up $1.61 during trading on Thursday, reaching $170.57. The company had a trading volume of 183,610 shares, compared to its average volume of 193,823. The company has a fifty day moving average of $173.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $162.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.33 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $127.86 and a 12 month high of $187.41. 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.01 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

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