Merriman Wealth Management LLC Acquires New Position in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI)

Merriman Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 557 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $215,000.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Motorola Solutions in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Beacon Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 71.8% during the second quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 67 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Motorola Solutions by 871.4% in the second quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 68 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Motorola Solutions in the first quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Rise Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Motorola Solutions during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.17% of the company’s stock.

Motorola Solutions Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MSI opened at $442.57 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $418.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $381.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.03, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.71, a PEG ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.97. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a one year low of $269.64 and a one year high of $448.98.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The communications equipment provider reported $3.24 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.23. Motorola Solutions had a return on equity of 337.36% and a net margin of 14.04%. The business had revenue of $2.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.59 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.41 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 12.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Motorola Solutions Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. Motorola Solutions’s payout ratio is currently 48.45%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO John P. Molloy sold 23,985 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $407.50, for a total value of $9,773,887.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 46,821 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,079,557.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on MSI shares. Barclays raised their target price on Motorola Solutions from $372.00 to $467.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of Motorola Solutions from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, August 30th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Motorola Solutions from $460.00 to $510.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Motorola Solutions from $370.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on Motorola Solutions from $385.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $466.17.

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.