JPMorgan Chase & Co. Sells 295,485 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 16.3% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,512,587 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 295,485 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $260,272,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,953,000 after purchasing an additional 13,501 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter worth $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $646,000 after buying an additional 1,359 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 96.1% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 696 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $117,000 after buying an additional 341 shares during the period. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at $1,188,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 1,100 shares of the business’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 sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,234 shares in the company, valued at approximately $658,054.32. The trade was a 25.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Thursday, February 12th. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $186.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, National Bank Financial set a $235.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $202.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

NYSE MSA opened at $197.64 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $127.86 and a 12 month high of $208.92. 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 stock has a market cap of $7.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.92 and a beta of 0.98. The company’s 50 day moving average is $177.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $170.53.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.12. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 14.88%.The business had revenue of $510.91 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.62 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.25 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.94%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

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.