VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Makes New $1.19 Million Investment in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 7,093 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,188,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bayforest Capital Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3,400.0% in the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 115.4% during the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 293 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares during the period. Hilltop National Bank acquired a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth approximately $116,000. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 96.1% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 696 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $117,000 after purchasing an additional 341 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other news, President Stephanie L. Sciullo sold 2,361 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.51, for a total value of $400,213.11. Following the transaction, the president owned 9,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,539,659.33. This trade 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. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

NYSE MSA opened at $166.58 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.52 billion, a PE ratio of 23.76 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $170.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $165.76. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12-month low of $127.86 and a 12-month high of $182.85.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $474.12 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $446.46 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.15% and a return on equity of 26.03%. The company’s revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.01 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.24%.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Profile

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.