KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Sells 900 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS lowered its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 8.4% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 9,800 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 900 shares during the quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $1,438,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 38.8% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 56,365 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $9,344,000 after buying an additional 15,761 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 74,940 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $12,423,000 after buying an additional 1,952 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,883,844 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $643,825,000 after acquiring an additional 22,190 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 21.6% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,536 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $418,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 9.5% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,999,779 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $331,503,000 after purchasing an additional 173,210 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $180.03 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.83 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $127.86 and a one year high of $193.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 2.94 and a quick ratio of 1.84. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $167.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $159.67.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 27.65% and a net margin of 15.77%. The business had revenue of $421.34 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $402.60 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.61 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the business’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 transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 35,401 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. The trade was a 45.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSA has been the topic of several research reports. Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price objective on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, B. Riley reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $195.00 target price (down previously from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated 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.