Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Acquires 3,282 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 29.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 14,361 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,282 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $2,354,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sanctuary Advisors LLC boosted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 3,958 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $634,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.4% in the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $297,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 3,033 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $486,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 157 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 28.2% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 382 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on MSA shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. DA Davidson reduced their target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 price target (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $203.60.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $171.12 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.61 billion, a PE ratio of 23.12 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $151.10 and a 1 year high of $208.92. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $167.32 and its 200-day moving average is $174.62.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $463.63 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $451.28 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.68 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.