Gateway Investment Advisers LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI)

Gateway Investment Advisers LLC cut its stake in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) by 7.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 986 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock after selling 79 shares during the period. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC’s holdings in Motorola Solutions were worth $381,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in Motorola Solutions by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 12,176,768 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $3,812,424,000 after buying an additional 44,279 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates boosted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 2,237,587 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $794,299,000 after acquiring an additional 81,990 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Motorola Solutions in the fourth quarter valued at about $646,341,000. Alphinity Investment Management Pty Ltd increased its position in Motorola Solutions by 36.5% during the first quarter. Alphinity Investment Management Pty Ltd now owns 1,478,757 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $524,929,000 after purchasing an additional 395,096 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc raised its stake in Motorola Solutions by 19.7% during the fourth quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 917,734 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $287,333,000 after purchasing an additional 151,007 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.17% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on MSI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Motorola Solutions from $436.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Motorola Solutions from $385.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Motorola Solutions from $370.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of Motorola Solutions from $372.00 to $467.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $437.40.

Motorola Solutions Stock Down 0.3 %

NYSE MSI traded down $1.42 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $410.76. 340,434 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 667,557. The company has a 50 day moving average of $388.58 and a two-hundred day moving average of $358.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.16. The firm has a market cap of $68.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.77, a PEG ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 0.94. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 52-week low of $269.64 and a 52-week high of $413.28.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The communications equipment provider reported $3.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.23. Motorola Solutions had a net margin of 14.04% and a return on equity of 378.15%. The firm had revenue of $2.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.41 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 12.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Motorola Solutions Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 14th were paid a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 14th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.95%. Motorola Solutions’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.45%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Motorola Solutions news, COO John P. Molloy sold 23,985 shares of Motorola Solutions stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $407.50, for a total transaction of $9,773,887.50. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 46,821 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,079,557.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 690 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $373.11, for a total value of $257,445.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 8,141 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,037,488.51. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, COO John P. Molloy sold 23,985 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $407.50, for a total value of $9,773,887.50. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 46,821 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,079,557.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 29,949 shares of company stock worth $12,002,807 in the last ninety days. 1.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Motorola Solutions 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.