MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Stock Holdings Decreased by Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lowered its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 14.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,136 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 356 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $358,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Champlain Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.4% during the 1st quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,738,675 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $255,046,000 after purchasing an additional 384,365 shares during the period. Foresight Group Ltd Liability Partnership purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the first quarter valued at $27,163,000. Argent Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter valued at $17,181,000. Cooke & Bieler LP raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 14.4% during the second quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 813,762 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $136,330,000 after buying an additional 102,318 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter worth about $14,631,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total transaction of $400,213.11. Following the completion of the transaction, the president owned 9,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,539,659.33. This represents a 20.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $156.07 on Friday. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $127.86 and a 12 month high of $182.85. The company has a market cap of $6.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.01 and a beta of 0.99. The business’s 50 day moving average is $166.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $167.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 3.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $468.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $461.37 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.23% and a net margin of 15.02%.During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.83 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.5625 per share. This represents a $2.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 14th. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 29.90%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on MSA shares. DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Company Profile

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.