MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Shares Sold by Baillie Gifford & Co.

Baillie Gifford & Co. trimmed its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 10.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 97,761 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 11,136 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. owned 0.25% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $14,341,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 57.1% in the 1st quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 4,881 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $716,000 after purchasing an additional 1,775 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.0% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 29,074 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,265,000 after buying an additional 563 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter worth about $1,273,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 13.2% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 82,418 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $12,090,000 after acquiring an additional 9,593 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. B. Riley reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $195.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price objective on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $180.03 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $167.94 and its 200-day simple moving average is $159.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.94. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $193.22. The company has a market capitalization of $7.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.83 and a beta of 0.95.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.09. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 27.65%. The firm had revenue of $421.34 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $402.60 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.61 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% 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 Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.24%.

Insider Activity

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total value of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 35,401 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide.