ProShare Advisors LLC Sells 23,299 Shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated $MSA

ProShare Advisors LLC decreased its position in MSA Safety Incorporporated (NYSE:MSA) by 10.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 197,746 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 23,299 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC owned about 0.51% of MSA Safety Incorporporated worth $34,026,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of MSA. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated by 34.8% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 298 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 19.8% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 477 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $82,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,327 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $390,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the period. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 1.0% during the third quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 9,297 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,614,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in MSA Safety Incorporporated by 94.1% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. 92.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Jonathan D. Buck sold 333 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.00, for a total value of $53,613.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $713,874. This trade represents a 6.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSA has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSA Safety Incorporporated from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $189.20.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Price Performance

MSA stock opened at $194.48 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $171.79 and a 200-day moving average of $169.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.43 and a beta of 0.98. MSA Safety Incorporporated has a 12 month low of $127.86 and a 12 month high of $195.13. The company has a current ratio of 3.08, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

MSA Safety Incorporporated Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. MSA Safety Incorporporated’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.90%.

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.