Handelsbanken Fonder AB Sells 15,553 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Handelsbanken Fonder AB reduced its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 13.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 102,191 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 15,553 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $17,841,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Allied Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 52.1% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,124 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $196,000 after buying an additional 385 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter valued at about $162,000. Moody National Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated during the second quarter worth about $200,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 119.2% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 388 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $68,000 after acquiring an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on MSA Safety Incorporporated from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Wall Street Zen downgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. DA Davidson set a $223.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, B. Riley Financial lowered MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $210.00 to $195.00 in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $211.33.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MSA opened at $192.51 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $7.43 billion, a PE ratio of 23.94 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a quick ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 3.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $172.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $175.80. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a twelve month low of $151.10 and a twelve month high of $208.92.

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

MSA Safety Incorporporated Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at MSA Safety Incorporporated

In related news, CFO Julie A. Beck purchased 448 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $158.69 per share, for a total transaction of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares in the company, valued at $606,989.25. This represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 469 shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.00, for a total transaction of $89,579.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,776 shares in the company, valued at approximately $721,216. This represents a 11.05% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.