Handelsbanken Fonder AB Sells 15,553 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Handelsbanken Fonder AB cut its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 13.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 102,191 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 15,553 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned 0.26% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $17,841,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb L.P. bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the second quarter valued at about $158,997,000. Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $90,999,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at $66,878,000. Natixis Advisors LLC raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1,447.3% in the fourth quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 363,177 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $58,159,000 after purchasing an additional 339,705 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 233.9% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 452,505 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $72,464,000 after acquiring an additional 316,975 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total transaction of $3,879,800.00. Following the transaction, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,762,352.76. This represents a 28.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 469 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total transaction of $89,579.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,776 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $721,216. This trade represents a 11.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. DA Davidson set a $223.00 price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. B. Riley Financial cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $211.33.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

Shares of MSA opened at $192.51 on Thursday. 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 fifty day simple moving average is $172.49 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $175.80. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $151.10 and a 12 month high of $208.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.94 and a beta of 0.94.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $503.33 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $496.27 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 25.13% and a net margin of 16.13%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.93 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.23 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

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

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.