Allianz Asset Management GmbH Sells 8,223 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA)

Allianz Asset Management GmbH lowered its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 30.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 18,457 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 8,223 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $2,707,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 57.1% during the 1st quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 4,881 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $716,000 after purchasing an additional 1,775 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 39.4% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 269 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 29,074 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $4,265,000 after purchasing an additional 563 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the 1st quarter valued at $1,273,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 13.2% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 82,418 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $12,090,000 after purchasing an additional 9,593 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $166.00 price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 18th. B. Riley reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $195.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from $183.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSA Safety Incorporporated currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $178.83 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $7.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.67 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 2.94 and a quick ratio of 1.84. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1 year low of $127.86 and a 1 year high of $192.12. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $168.71 and a 200 day moving average of $159.96.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $421.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $402.60 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.77% and a return on equity of 27.65%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.61 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.19%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, Chairman Nishan J. Vartanian sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.32, for a total transaction of $4,839,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 35,401 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,710,889.32. This trade represents a 45.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

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.