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

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% in the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake 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 worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 970 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $142,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Friday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total transaction of $400,213.11. Following the completion of the sale, the president directly owned 9,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,539,659.33. The trade was a 20.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

NYSE:MSA traded down $0.26 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $169.01. The stock had a trading volume of 165,548 shares, compared to its average volume of 191,403. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $173.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $162.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 3.11 and a quick ratio of 1.90. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $187.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.11 and a beta of 0.96.

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 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The firm had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $446.46 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.01 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is currently 30.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on MSA shares. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price objective for the company. DA Davidson raised their price objective 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. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $189.20.

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.