MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Chairman Nishan Vartanian Sells 20,000 Shares of Stock

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) Chairman Nishan Vartanian sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.99, for a total value of $3,879,800.00. Following the transaction, the chairman directly owned 50,324 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,762,352.76. The trade was a 28.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 0.2%

MSA stock opened at $193.44 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $171.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $175.73. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $151.10 and a 12 month high of $208.92. The company has a current ratio of 3.24, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.06 and a beta of 0.94.

MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $503.33 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $496.27 million. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 25.13%. The firm’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.93 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 9.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.87%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSA has been the subject of several research analyst reports. B. Riley Financial cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen cut MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $197.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $211.33.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSA Safety Incorporporated

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 3,958 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $634,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 4.4% during the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $297,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 3,033 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $486,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its holdings 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 valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Finally, Snowden Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.8% during the second quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,327 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $390,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About MSA Safety Incorporporated

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.