ProShare Advisors LLC Sells 23,299 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

ProShare Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 10.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 197,746 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 23,299 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $34,026,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter valued at approximately $158,997,000. Cooke & Bieler LP raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 824,620 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $141,892,000 after buying an additional 10,858 shares in the last quarter. M&G PLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5,607.2% during the 2nd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 722,251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $121,338,000 after acquiring an additional 709,596 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 12.2% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 614,887 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $103,012,000 after acquiring an additional 66,977 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Channing Capital Management LLC grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.6% in the second quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC now owns 516,459 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $86,522,000 after acquiring an additional 22,804 shares in the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE MSA opened at $194.48 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $171.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $169.29. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $195.13. The firm has a market cap of $7.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.43 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 3.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total value of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $713,874. The trade was a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

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.