MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by Champlain Investment Partners LLC

Champlain Investment Partners LLC cut its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 11.7% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 1,472,716 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 195,337 shares during the period. MSA Safety Incorporporated makes up approximately 1.9% of Champlain Investment Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Champlain Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $253,410,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter valued at about $158,997,000. M&G PLC grew its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5,607.2% during the second quarter. M&G PLC now owns 722,251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $121,338,000 after buying an additional 709,596 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter valued at about $52,167,000. Schroder Investment Management Group raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4,260.1% in the 2nd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 204,314 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $34,188,000 after acquiring an additional 199,628 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Westwood Holdings Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,988,000. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:MSA opened at $198.17 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $182.34 and its 200-day moving average is $171.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a current ratio of 3.01. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The company has a market capitalization of $7.69 billion, a PE ratio of 27.99 and a beta of 0.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 14.88% and a return on equity of 24.48%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.25 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the industrial products company to purchase up to 6.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. 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 payout ratio is presently 29.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total transaction of $223,828.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at $658,054.32. This represents a 25.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. DA Davidson increased their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.