Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Boosts Position in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 0.9% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,100 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 100 shares during the quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $1,860,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth about $838,000. Sendero Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth about $550,000. Hilltop National Bank purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth about $116,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 0.8% during the second quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 11,765 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,971,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Argent Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth about $17,181,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price objective for the company. DA Davidson upped their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $189.20.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total transaction of $400,213.11. Following the completion of the sale, the president owned 9,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,539,659.33. This represents a 20.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of MSA opened at $170.43 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $6.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.31 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $171.77 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $164.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 3.11 and a quick ratio of 1.90. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $182.85.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 26.03% and a net margin of 15.15%.The business’s revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.01 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is 30.24%.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

MSA Safety Incorporated develops, manufactures, and supplies safety products and technology solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures in the fire service, energy, utility, construction, and industrial manufacturing applications, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industries worldwide.