Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) Shares Sold by Bank of Nova Scotia

Key Points

• Bank of Nova Scotia reduced its stake in Motorola Solutions, Inc. by 23.7%, selling 40,676 shares and leaving it with 131,064 shares valued at approximately $57.38 million.
• Motorola Solutions reported $3.18 EPS for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations, and had quarterly revenue of $2.53 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 5.8%.
• Several institutional investors changed their positions in Motorola Solutions, with 84.17% of the company's stock now owned by institutional investors and notable activity including a 552.3% stake increase by Landscape Capital Management L.L.C.

Bank of Nova Scotia lowered its position in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI - Free Report) by 23.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 131,064 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock after selling 40,676 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia owned 0.08% of Motorola Solutions worth $57,381,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. FMR LLC raised its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 12.4% during the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,030,915 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $1,400,980,000 after acquiring an additional 334,639 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 15.9% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,868,559 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $863,704,000 after purchasing an additional 256,707 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Motorola Solutions by 15.7% in the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 1,554,252 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $718,422,000 after buying an additional 210,662 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 7.6% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,432,475 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $662,133,000 after purchasing an additional 101,411 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in Motorola Solutions by 43,787.3% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,084,455 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $474,785,000 after acquiring an additional 1,081,984 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.17% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Motorola Solutions from $570.00 to $515.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Motorola Solutions from $527.00 to $511.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Motorola Solutions in a report on Monday, July 7th. They set a "peer perform" rating for the company. UBS Group assumed coverage on Motorola Solutions in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "buy" rating and a $490.00 target price for the company. Finally, William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Motorola Solutions in a research note on Wednesday, May 28th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Motorola Solutions currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $510.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Katherine A. Maher sold 1,073 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $418.68, for a total value of $449,243.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 804 shares of the company's stock, valued at $336,618.72. The trade was a 57.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.44% of the company's stock.

Motorola Solutions Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:MSI traded down $1.01 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $441.12. 216,639 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 892,386. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.85, a PEG ratio of 3.73 and a beta of 0.97. The business's fifty day moving average price is $419.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $428.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.20. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a twelve month low of $388.90 and a twelve month high of $507.82.

Motorola Solutions Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 13th were issued a dividend of $1.09 per share. This represents a $4.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 13th. Motorola Solutions's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.39%.

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.