JPMorgan Chase & Co. Sells 51,097 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. lessened its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA) by 2.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,826,569 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 51,097 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s holdings in MSA Safety were worth $323,924,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MSA. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its position in MSA Safety by 1.9% in the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 7,814 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,467,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc purchased a new position in MSA Safety during the second quarter valued at $206,000. Cooke & Bieler LP bought a new stake in MSA Safety during the second quarter valued at about $60,236,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in MSA Safety by 748.6% in the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 65,552 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $12,303,000 after buying an additional 57,827 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System raised its stake in shares of MSA Safety by 1.9% in the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 10,457 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,963,000 after buying an additional 194 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.51% of the company’s stock.

MSA Safety Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of MSA opened at $167.17 on Monday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $171.34 and its 200 day moving average is $177.54. The company has a current ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. MSA Safety Incorporated has a 12-month low of $160.02 and a 12-month high of $200.60. The company has a market capitalization of $6.57 billion, a PE ratio of 24.16 and a beta of 0.99.

MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The industrial products company reported $1.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.05. MSA Safety had a net margin of 15.16% and a return on equity of 29.14%. The firm had revenue of $432.68 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $449.95 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.78 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that MSA Safety Incorporated will post 7.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th were issued a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.22%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 15th. MSA Safety’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.48%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. DA Davidson initiated coverage on MSA Safety in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $195.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Finally, B. Riley initiated coverage on shares of MSA Safety in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. They set a “buy” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $202.50.

MSA Safety Company 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.