MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Chairman Sells 20,000 Shares

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total value of $3,879,800.00. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,762,352.76. This represents a 28.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock traded up $1.32 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $194.45. The stock had a trading volume of 43,574 shares, compared to its average volume of 269,765. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.21 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a current ratio of 3.24, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $171.34 and its 200 day moving average is $175.67. 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 earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The firm had revenue of $503.33 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $496.27 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.93 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 26.87%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Comerica Bank grew its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 30.6% during the 4th quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 103,450 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $16,567,000 after buying an additional 24,260 shares during the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 11.4% during the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 95,838 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $15,347,000 after acquiring an additional 9,840 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter worth about $1,243,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,738,000. Finally, Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 4th quarter valued at $23,604,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on MSA shares. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. 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. B. Riley Financial downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $211.33.

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.