MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by Aberdeen Group plc

Aberdeen Group plc lowered its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 29.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 156,202 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 63,733 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $25,014,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 397.7% in the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 219 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently commented on MSA. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $205.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $203.14.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Down 0.1%

MSA opened at $164.94 on Monday. 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 has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $208.92. The business’s 50 day moving average is $184.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $172.37. The firm has a market cap of $6.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.30 and a beta of 1.05.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.62 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.25 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.94%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Thursday, February 26th that permits the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to purchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.