Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd Acquires New Shares in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 3,002 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $440,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 38.8% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 56,365 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $9,344,000 after purchasing an additional 15,761 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 74,940 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $12,423,000 after purchasing an additional 1,952 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,883,844 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $643,825,000 after purchasing an additional 22,190 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 21.6% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,536 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $418,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,999,779 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $331,503,000 after purchasing an additional 173,210 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company's stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

NYSE:MSA traded down $1.67 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $176.20. 43,888 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 203,247. The firm has a market cap of $6.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.31 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $187.41. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $169.53 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $160.22. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 2.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $421.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $402.60 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.24%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

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.