MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA Shares Sold by Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC

Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC lessened its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 11.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 664,812 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 86,360 shares during the period. MSA Safety Incorporporated accounts for 2.2% of Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $108,996,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake 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 valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 3rd quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth $50,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This represents a 13.27% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, DA Davidson cut their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.00.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA opened at $170.32 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $167.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $173.81. The stock has a market cap of $6.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.02 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a one year low of $151.10 and a one year high of $208.92.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.19%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated 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.