Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Takes $444,000 Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Key Points

• Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated worth approximately $444,000, acquiring 3,027 shares during the 1st quarter.
• Major institutional investors, including Pictet Asset Management and Envestnet Asset Management, have significantly increased their stakes in MSA, with institutional ownership now at 92.51%.
• Wall Street analysts have a consensus rating of "Hold" for MSA Safety Incorporporated, with a price target averaging $189.20, reflecting mixed sentiments on the stock's potential.

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,027 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $444,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 8.2% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 869 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $144,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.3% during the first quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. now owns 23,136 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $3,394,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 54.4% during the first 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.9% during the first quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 11,000 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,614,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated 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 transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA stock traded down $0.96 during trading on Thursday, reaching $177.11. 77,759 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 204,966. The company has a market capitalization of $6.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.29 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $187.41. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $170.94 and a 200-day simple moving average of $160.62.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.01%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.01 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.24%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on MSA shares. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. DA Davidson raised their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $182.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, July 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $189.20.

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.