Lazard Asset Management LLC Sells 4,209 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Lazard Asset Management LLC lowered its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 3.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 112,224 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 4,209 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned 0.29% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $18,399,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.8% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 47,391 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,953,000 after buying an additional 13,501 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter worth $501,000. Jane Street Group LLC increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 44.7% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,401 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $646,000 after acquiring an additional 1,359 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 31.5% in the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,757 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $462,000 after acquiring an additional 661 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA opened at $176.12 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 3.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $167.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $175.05. The stock has a market cap of $6.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.80 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 52 week low of $151.10 and a 52 week high of $208.92.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. 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 of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Finally, DA Davidson reduced their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $203.60.

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.