MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) CAO Jonathan Buck Sells 333 Shares

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) CAO Jonathan Buck sold 333 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total value of $53,613.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $713,874. This represents a 6.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of MSA stock traded up $0.19 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $161.22. 296,855 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 216,048. The company has a market capitalization of $6.31 billion, a PE ratio of 22.74 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 3.08, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $182.85. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $164.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $167.81.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $468.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $461.37 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.02% and a return on equity of 25.23%. The firm’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.83 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th will be paid a $0.5625 dividend. This is an increase from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 14th. This represents a $2.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s payout ratio is presently 29.90%.

Institutional Trading of MSA Safety Incorporporated

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP raised its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 23.9% in the first quarter. Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP now owns 31,591 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,634,000 after buying an additional 6,094 shares during the last quarter. Entropy Technologies LP boosted its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 194.4% in the 1st quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 5,300 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $777,000 after buying an additional 3,500 shares during the last quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the first quarter worth $235,000. TD Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 37.6% in the second quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 13,112 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,197,000 after acquiring an additional 3,582 shares during the period. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 27.8% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 2,865 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $420,000 after acquiring an additional 624 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on MSA shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $189.20.

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.