Bessemer Group Inc. Increases Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 172,338 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,696 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. owned approximately 0.44% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $28,871,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during 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. Vontobel Holding Ltd. grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 7,070 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,037,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1,330.4% in the first quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 33,143 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $4,862,000 after purchasing an additional 30,826 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 13.2% in the first quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 82,418 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $12,090,000 after purchasing an additional 9,593 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.5% during the first quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 10,163 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,491,000 after purchasing an additional 348 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price target on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $189.20.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total value of $400,213.11. Following the sale, the president owned 9,083 shares in the company, valued at $1,539,659.33. This trade represents a 20.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

NYSE:MSA opened at $162.48 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.36 billion, a PE ratio of 23.18 and a beta of 0.99. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $127.86 and a 52 week high of $182.85. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $170.09 and its 200-day moving average price is $166.71.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $468.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $461.37 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%.MSA Safety Incorporporated’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.83 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.24%.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.