MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Chairman Sells 20,000 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 MSA shares for approximately $3.88 million, reducing his ownership by 28.44% to 50,324 shares.
• MSA reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.40 versus the $2.14 consensus and revenue of $503.33 million, up 6.2% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.54 per share, equivalent to a $2.16 annualized payout and a 1.1% yield; analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with a $211.33 price target.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total transaction of $3,879,800.00. Following the sale, the chairman owned 50,324 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,762,352.76. The trade was a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA traded up $1.32 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $194.45. The stock had a trading volume of 43,574 shares, compared to its average volume of 269,765. The company's fifty day moving average is $171.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $175.67. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $151.10 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.24 and a quick ratio of 2.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.21 and a beta of 0.94.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The firm had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $496.27 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.93 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.23 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated's payout ratio is 26.87%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on MSA. DA Davidson set a $223.00 price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday. B. Riley Financial cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $211.33.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,792,712 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $607,365,000 after buying an additional 82,305 shares during the period. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. now owns 1,811,635 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $290,115,000 after acquiring an additional 106,349 shares during the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.0% during the fourth quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 899,030 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $143,971,000 after acquiring an additional 74,410 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 764,663 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $122,460,000 after acquiring an additional 9,915 shares during the period. Finally, M&G PLC boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. M&G PLC now owns 728,727 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $116,596,000 after purchasing an additional 4,899 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of safety products designed to protect workers in hazardous environments. The company's offerings span personal protective equipment such as industrial helmets, face shields, protective clothing and fall protection devices, as well as fixed and portable gas detection and monitoring systems. MSA's products are used in industries including oil and gas, mining, construction, fire service, and chemical processing to guard against risks such as gas leaks, impacts, flame exposure and falls from height.

Key product lines include self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and air-purifying respirators, gas detectors and sensors, head and face protection, and fall arrest systems.

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