Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 36,506 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Principal Financial Group Inc. trimmed its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 8.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 373,548 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 36,506 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.95% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $64,278,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of MSA. Cooke & Bieler LP lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 824,620 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $141,892,000 after acquiring an additional 10,858 shares during the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund raised its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.4% during the third quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 156,293 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,893,000 after purchasing an additional 3,600 shares in the last quarter. Southernsun Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth about $23,422,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 6.8% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 449,136 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $75,244,000 after purchasing an additional 28,481 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC increased its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 354.5% during the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 23,592 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $4,059,000 after purchasing an additional 18,401 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total transaction of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $713,874. This represents a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE:MSA opened at $184.15 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a current ratio of 3.08. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a fifty-two week low of $127.86 and a fifty-two week high of $185.54. The firm has a market cap of $7.21 billion, a PE ratio of 25.97 and a beta of 0.98. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $168.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $168.79.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 29.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSA has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday. They set a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently 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 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.