Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eight analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $505.88.

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Motorola Solutions from $495.00 to $505.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Motorola Solutions from $529.00 to $527.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Motorola Solutions from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th.

Motorola Solutions Price Performance

MSI stock opened at $401.91 on Wednesday. Motorola Solutions has a 52 week low of $332.98 and a 52 week high of $507.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $439.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $459.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.30.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The communications equipment provider reported $3.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.85 by ($0.10). Motorola Solutions had a return on equity of 197.59% and a net margin of 14.58%. The company had revenue of $3.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3 billion. Analysts anticipate that Motorola Solutions will post 13.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Motorola Solutions Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $1.09 per share. This represents a $4.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. Motorola Solutions’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.29%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Motorola Solutions by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,179,834 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $9,789,955,000 after buying an additional 310,919 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,454,643 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $3,358,848,000 after purchasing an additional 198,183 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Motorola Solutions by 12.1% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,187,217 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,933,360,000 after purchasing an additional 451,172 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Motorola Solutions in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,528,949,000. Finally, FMR LLC raised its holdings in Motorola Solutions by 12.4% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,030,915 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $1,400,980,000 after purchasing an additional 334,639 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.