Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC Decreases Stock Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC cut its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 6.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 71,378 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 5,242 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $11,580,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cooke & Bieler LP lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% in the third quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 824,620 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $141,892,000 after buying an additional 10,858 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund boosted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.4% during the third quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 156,293 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,893,000 after acquiring an additional 3,600 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter valued at about $782,000. Alps Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter valued at about $15,282,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.8% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 449,136 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $75,244,000 after acquiring an additional 28,481 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total value of $223,828.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $205.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 30th. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.14.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $164.94 on Monday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $184.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $172.37. 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 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $208.92. The company has a market capitalization of $6.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.30 and a beta of 1.05.

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 for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 14.88% and a return on equity of 24.48%. The firm had revenue of $510.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.62 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.25 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to repurchase up to 6.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.94%.

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.