Copeland Capital Management LLC Trims Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Copeland Capital Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 6.2% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 178,035 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 11,668 shares during the quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $28,511,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $297,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 19.8% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 477 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $82,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.2% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 382 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,327 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $390,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 11,850 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,039,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of MSA opened at $172.41 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.01, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.35 and a beta of 1.05. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $179.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $172.22. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $148.76 and a twelve month high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.26 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $508.62 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.25 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, February 26th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the industrial products company to repurchase up to 6.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.48, for a total value of $223,828.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $658,054.32. This trade represents a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on MSA. DA Davidson increased their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $205.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, National Bank Financial set a $235.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $203.14.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.