Vanguard Group Inc. Sells 60,878 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. has reduced its stake in MSA Safety Incorporated by 1.6%, selling 60,878 shares to own 3,822,966 shares, valued at $560.79 million.
• Various institutional investors, including Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. and GAMMA Investing LLC, have increased their positions in MSA Safety during the first quarter, indicating strong institutional support for the stock.
• MSA Safety reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.93 for the latest quarter, exceeding estimates and showcasing a year-on-year revenue growth of 2.5%, contributing to a stable financial outlook.

Vanguard Group Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 1.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,822,966 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 60,878 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 9.74% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $560,791,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MSA. Champlain Investment Partners LLC grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 99.2% in the 4th quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,354,310 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $224,504,000 after purchasing an additional 674,560 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in 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 worth $187,573,000 after purchasing an additional 271,264 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 554.3% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 284,552 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $47,170,000 after purchasing an additional 241,061 shares during the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 33.9% during the 1st quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 790,939 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $116,023,000 after purchasing an additional 200,221 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 36.7% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 438,374 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $72,669,000 after purchasing an additional 117,758 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on MSA. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $182.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. DA Davidson boosted their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. 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 research report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA stock traded up $0.82 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $170.43. The stock had a trading volume of 105,287 shares, compared to its average volume of 208,893. 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 stock's 50-day moving average price is $172.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $160.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.31 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%. The company had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.46 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.01 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio is presently 30.24%.

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.