Trexquant Investment LP Cuts Stock Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Trexquant Investment LP decreased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 43.2% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 29,888 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 22,711 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $4,384,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Champlain Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.4% in the 1st quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,738,675 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $255,046,000 after buying an additional 384,365 shares in the last quarter. Eisler Capital Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter valued at about $290,000. Comerica Bank boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 40.2% in the 1st quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 80,878 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $11,864,000 after buying an additional 23,177 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 65.1% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 36,524 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $5,358,000 after buying an additional 14,404 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Walleye Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,441,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 1.4%

NYSE:MSA opened at $170.50 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $6.67 billion, a PE ratio of 24.32 and a beta of 0.96. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $127.86 and a twelve month high of $187.41. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company’s 50 day moving average is $173.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $161.52.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The company had revenue of $474.12 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $446.46 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.01 EPS. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 30.24%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MSA shares. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Monday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price target on the stock. DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price 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.