Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Has $2.35 Million Stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 29.6% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 14,361 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 3,282 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated were worth $2,354,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSA. State of Michigan Retirement System grew its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 8,755 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,435,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 15,958.9% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 102,456 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $16,798,000 after purchasing an additional 101,818 shares during the period. Simplicity Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in the 1st quarter valued at about $252,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 38.0% in the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,450 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $402,000 after purchasing an additional 675 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund lifted its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 7,480 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,226,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Julie A. Beck bought 448 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $158.69 per share, with a total value of $71,093.12. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 3,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $606,989.25. This represents a 13.27% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. 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. Weiss Ratings raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 target price on MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen raised MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $180.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSA Safety Incorporporated presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $203.60.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Stock Up 0.1%

MSA Safety Incorporporated stock opened at $171.12 on Tuesday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $167.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $174.62. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 3.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock has a market cap of $6.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.12 and a beta of 0.95. 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 data on Monday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.14. MSA Safety Incorporporated had a return on equity of 24.54% and a net margin of 15.16%.The company had revenue of $463.63 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $451.28 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.68 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporporated will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.54 dividend. This is a boost from MSA Safety Incorporporated’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.19%.

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.