Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Wednesday.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on MSI. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Motorola Solutions from $527.00 to $511.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Motorola Solutions from $570.00 to $515.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Motorola Solutions from $495.00 to $505.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $513.25.

Motorola Solutions Stock Performance

NYSE:MSI opened at $423.93 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $421.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $450.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $70.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.98, a PEG ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.30, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.13. Motorola Solutions has a 1-year low of $356.77 and a 1-year high of $507.82.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The communications equipment provider reported $3.18 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.17. Motorola Solutions had a return on equity of 197.59% and a net margin of 14.58%. The firm had revenue of $2.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.81 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Motorola Solutions will post 13.55 EPS for the current year.

Motorola Solutions Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.09 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. This represents a $4.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.03%. Motorola Solutions’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.39%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Motorola Solutions

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MSI. Woodline Partners LP increased its holdings in Motorola Solutions by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 14,119 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $6,181,000 after purchasing an additional 4,083 shares during the period. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI grew its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 38.1% during the first quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI now owns 137,909 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $60,378,000 after buying an additional 38,012 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 69.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 14,994 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $6,565,000 after buying an additional 6,168 shares during the period. Faithward Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Motorola Solutions during the first quarter worth approximately $241,000. Finally, MBB Public Markets I LLC acquired a new stake in Motorola Solutions in the first quarter valued at approximately $312,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.17% of the company’s stock.

Motorola Solutions Company Profile

Motorola Solutions, Inc provides public safety and enterprise security solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce.