APG Asset Management N.V. Sells 225,743 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

APG Asset Management N.V. reduced its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 12.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,641,220 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 225,743 shares during the quarter. APG Asset Management N.V.’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $282,405,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,953,000 after purchasing an additional 13,501 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter valued at $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $646,000 after buying an additional 1,359 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 96.1% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 696 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $117,000 after buying an additional 341 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter valued at about $855,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MSA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, DA Davidson increased their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $202.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

MSA stock opened at $195.69 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 3.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market cap of $7.59 billion, a PE ratio of 27.64 and a beta of 0.98. The business has a 50 day moving average of $181.60 and a 200-day moving average of $171.36. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.62 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.25 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.94%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits 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 of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, 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 insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated 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.