Clearbridge Investments LLC Sells 56,704 Shares of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI)

Clearbridge Investments LLC cut its holdings in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) by 11.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 436,107 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock after selling 56,704 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC’s holdings in Motorola Solutions were worth $154,809,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Motorola Solutions in the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its position in Motorola Solutions by 78.7% in the 1st quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 84 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. increased its position in Motorola Solutions by 206.9% in the 1st quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 89 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in Motorola Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Motco increased its position in Motorola Solutions by 137.5% in the 4th quarter. Motco now owns 95 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. 84.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Motorola Solutions Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MSI traded up $0.59 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $396.74. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 444,669 shares, compared to its average volume of 656,355. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 12-month low of $269.64 and a 12-month high of $399.62. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $379.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $351.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $66.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.04, a PEG ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.16, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.01.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The communications equipment provider reported $2.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.29. Motorola Solutions had a return on equity of 398.16% and a net margin of 13.64%. The firm had revenue of $2.39 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.34 billion. As a group, equities analysts predict that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 12.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Motorola Solutions Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 15th. Stockholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.99%. Motorola Solutions’s payout ratio is presently 48.45%.

Insider Transactions at Motorola Solutions

In related news, CAO Katherine A. Maher sold 2,615 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $354.68, for a total value of $927,488.20. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 1,138 shares in the company, valued at $403,625.84. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, SVP Rajan Naik sold 5,274 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $373.81, for a total value of $1,971,473.94. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 8,939 shares in the company, valued at $3,341,487.59. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Katherine A. Maher sold 2,615 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $354.68, for a total transaction of $927,488.20. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 1,138 shares in the company, valued at approximately $403,625.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 9,389 shares of company stock worth $3,446,461 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on MSI. Bank of America boosted their target price on Motorola Solutions from $370.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on Motorola Solutions in a research report on Monday, March 25th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $400.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Motorola Solutions from $400.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Motorola Solutions from $375.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Motorola Solutions from $362.00 to $372.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $374.57.

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.