Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) Upgraded to “Buy” at StockNews.com

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

MSI has been the topic of several other reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Motorola Solutions from $495.00 to $505.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Motorola Solutions from $570.00 to $515.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on Motorola Solutions from $527.00 to $511.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Motorola Solutions has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $513.25.

Motorola Solutions Price Performance

MSI opened at $414.81 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.30, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.28. Motorola Solutions has a 52-week low of $356.77 and a 52-week high of $507.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $69.24 billion, a PE ratio of 44.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 0.98. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $420.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $450.75.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The communications equipment provider reported $3.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 previous year, the firm earned $2.81 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Motorola Solutions will post 13.55 EPS for the current year.

Motorola Solutions Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were issued a $1.09 dividend. This represents a $4.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. Motorola Solutions’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.39%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Motorola Solutions

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Synergy Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Motorola Solutions in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of Motorola Solutions during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Motorola Solutions by 346.2% during the first quarter. ORG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 58 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Motorola Solutions during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Motorola Solutions during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. 84.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Motorola Solutions

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.