MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Purchased by California Public Employees Retirement System

California Public Employees Retirement System raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 5.0% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 65,350 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,137 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $10,714,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% during the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the second 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

NYSE MSA opened at $174.90 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.64 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $167.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $174.85. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52-week low of $151.10 and a 52-week high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The firm’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.68 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.54 per share. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.19%.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $606,989.25. The trade was a 13.27% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSA has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. 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 note on Tuesday, March 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. DA Davidson dropped their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.60.

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.