MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Stake Cut by Ensign Peak Advisors Inc

Ensign Peak Advisors Inc cut its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Free Report) by 20.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,067 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 2,600 shares during the quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc's holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $1,687,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Bayforest Capital Ltd lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% in the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 115.4% during the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 293 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 34.8% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 298 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 48.0% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 398 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total value of $400,213.11. Following the transaction, the president owned 9,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,539,659.33. This trade represents a 20.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,434 shares of the company's stock, valued at $713,874. The trade was a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 0.1%

MSA stock opened at $161.22 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.08, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $182.85. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $164.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $167.76. The firm has a market cap of $6.31 billion, a PE ratio of 22.74 and a beta of 0.99.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.04. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.02% and a return on equity of 25.23%. The firm had revenue of $468.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $461.37 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.83 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated's revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th will be paid a $0.5625 dividend. This represents a $2.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 14th. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.90%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $189.20.

View Our Latest Report on MSA

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.

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