MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Bought by New York State Common Retirement Fund

New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 156,293 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,600 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $26,893,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. purchased a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at $158,997,000. M&G PLC raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 5,607.2% in the 2nd 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 in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 2nd quarter valued at about $52,167,000. Schroder Investment Management Group grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4,260.1% during the second quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 204,314 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $34,188,000 after buying an additional 199,628 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Westwood Holdings Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth approximately $27,988,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSA has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $186.50.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.7%

MSA stock opened at $177.06 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.97 and a beta of 0.97. 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 has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $185.54. The company’s 50 day moving average is $167.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $168.70.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is 29.90%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the firm’s 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $713,874. This trade represents a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.