Smithfield Trust Co Trims Stock Holdings in MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA)

Smithfield Trust Co lessened its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA) by 42.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,221 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 3,057 shares during the quarter. Smithfield Trust Co’s holdings in MSA Safety were worth $699,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in MSA Safety by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 424,356 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $70,345,000 after buying an additional 6,119 shares during the last quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in MSA Safety by 120.6% during the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 225 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in shares of MSA Safety by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,190 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $363,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of MSA Safety by 18.8% in the fourth quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC now owns 10,700 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,774,000 after acquiring an additional 1,694 shares during the period. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSA Safety during the fourth quarter worth $3,930,000. 92.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 717 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $159.00, for a total value of $114,003.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 3,673 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $584,007. This trade represents a 16.33 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 6.20% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSA has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on MSA Safety in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. They set a “hold” rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. DA Davidson initiated coverage on MSA Safety in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $195.00 price target for the company. B. Riley started coverage on MSA Safety in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of MSA Safety from $190.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $197.00.

MSA Safety Stock Performance

NYSE MSA opened at $158.00 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.79, a quick ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. MSA Safety Incorporated has a twelve month low of $153.79 and a twelve month high of $200.60. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $163.14 and a 200 day moving average of $169.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.91 and a beta of 1.00.

MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The industrial products company reported $2.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.23 by $0.02. MSA Safety had a return on equity of 28.64% and a net margin of 15.76%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that MSA Safety Incorporated will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSA Safety Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.29%. MSA Safety’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.29%.

About MSA Safety

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.