Impax Asset Management Group plc Lowers Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Impax Asset Management Group plc decreased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 22.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 35,000 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 10,089 shares during the quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $6,022,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $189.20.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at approximately $713,874. This trade represents a 6.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA opened at $197.40 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $172.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $169.49. The stock has a market cap of $7.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.84 and a beta of 0.98. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $197.55. The company has a current ratio of 3.08, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.02% and a return on equity of 25.24%. The business had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.62 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.25 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

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

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.