Insider Selling: MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) CAO Sells $223,828.00 in Stock

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) CAO Jonathan Buck sold 1,100 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.5%

NYSE:MSA opened at $197.02 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $178.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $170.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.83 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 3.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The firm had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.62 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.25 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.94%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at approximately $158,997,000. M&G PLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5,607.2% in the 2nd quarter. M&G PLC now owns 722,251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $121,338,000 after buying an additional 709,596 shares in the last quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at $90,999,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at $66,878,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1,447.3% during the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 363,177 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $58,159,000 after acquiring an additional 339,705 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSA has been the topic of several recent research reports. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday. DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $202.17.

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.