ING Groep NV Sells 6,205 Shares of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI)

Key Points

• ING Groep NV has reduced its stake in Motorola Solutions by 14.1%, now holding 37,740 shares valued at approximately $16.5 million.
• Motorola Solutions recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.09 per share, representing a yield of 1.0% and a payout ratio of 36.39%.
• Despite the stake reduction from ING, several institutional investors such as FMR LLC and Northern Trust Corp have increased their positions in Motorola Solutions, indicating ongoing investor confidence.

ING Groep NV cut its position in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI - Free Report) by 14.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 37,740 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock after selling 6,205 shares during the quarter. ING Groep NV's holdings in Motorola Solutions were worth $16,523,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 1,081,984 shares during the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 209.3% during the 4th quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 559,306 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $258,528,000 after acquiring an additional 378,462 shares during the period. FMR LLC lifted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 12.4% during the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,030,915 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $1,400,980,000 after acquiring an additional 334,639 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 541.2% during the 1st quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 331,910 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $145,312,000 after acquiring an additional 280,145 shares during the period. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 66.7% during the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 698,816 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $323,020,000 after acquiring an additional 279,655 shares during the period. 84.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Motorola Solutions Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of MSI traded up $8.35 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $442.40. The company had a trading volume of 669,315 shares, compared to its average volume of 842,281. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $419.42 and a 200-day moving average price of $428.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $73.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.93, a P/E/G ratio of 3.73 and a beta of 0.97. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 52-week low of $388.90 and a 52-week 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 given a $1.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 13th. This represents a $4.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Motorola Solutions's payout ratio is 36.39%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Katherine A. Maher sold 1,073 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $418.68, for a total transaction of $449,243.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 804 shares of the company's stock, valued at $336,618.72. This represents a 57.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 1.44% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on MSI. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Motorola Solutions in a report on Wednesday, May 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Motorola Solutions from $570.00 to $515.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Motorola Solutions from $527.00 to $511.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 5th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Motorola Solutions in a report on Monday, July 7th. They set a "peer perform" rating on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Motorola Solutions from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $510.67.

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.