Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 25,130 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Principal Financial Group Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 6.9% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 339,059 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 25,130 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $55,591,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 700.0% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its stake in 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 worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $50,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. DA Davidson lowered their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $235.00 to $206.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $203.60.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Performance

NYSE MSA opened at $170.91 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $6.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.10 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a 50 day moving average of $167.27 and a 200-day moving average of $174.48. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 1-year low of $151.10 and a 1-year high of $208.92.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last posted its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $451.28 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 24.54%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.68 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast 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 given a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This is a positive change from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

Insider Transactions at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In other MSA Safety Incorporporated news, CFO Julie A. Beck acquired 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. This trade represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Profile

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.