Lazard Asset Management LLC Lowers Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Lazard Asset Management LLC decreased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 3.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 112,224 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 4,209 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $18,399,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MSA. Sanctuary Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.6% in the 4th 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. grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.4% during the 3rd 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 raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.8% during 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 during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 109.3% during 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, Snowden Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.8% in the second quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,327 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $390,000 after buying an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on MSA. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. DA Davidson reduced their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, July 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $203.60.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the acquisition, 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 acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 2.0%

Shares of MSA opened at $176.12 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.17 and a quick ratio of 1.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.80 and a beta of 0.95. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $151.10 and a 1 year high of $208.92. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $167.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $175.05.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its 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 net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. The firm had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $451.28 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.68 earnings per share. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 29.19%.

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.