MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P.

Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. lowered its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 2.0% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,776,282 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 35,353 shares during the period. MSA Safety Incorporporated comprises 4.8% of Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P.’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $291,221,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at about $50,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.5%

NYSE:MSA opened at $175.44 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $167.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $174.94. The stock has a market cap of $6.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.71 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $151.10 and a 1 year high of $208.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 3.17.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The business had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.68 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.54 dividend. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is currently 29.19%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MSA. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. 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 report on Tuesday, March 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.60.

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.