Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) Stock Position Lifted by Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S.

Key Points

• Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. increased its holdings in Motorola Solutions by 9.0% during the first quarter, now owning 229,425 shares valued at approximately $100.4 million, making it the institutional investor's 12th largest position.
• Motorola Solutions recently declared a $1.09 quarterly dividend, translating to an annualized yield of 1.02%, with an ex-dividend date on June 13.
• Analysts have given Motorola Solutions an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus price target of $510.67, highlighting growing investor interest in the stock.

Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. lifted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI - Free Report) by 9.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 229,425 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 18,909 shares during the period. Motorola Solutions comprises approximately 2.4% of Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S.'s portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest position. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. owned approximately 0.14% of Motorola Solutions worth $100,444,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators raised its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 5.4% in the 1st quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 471 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $206,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the period. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 22.5% in the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 136 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. now owns 636 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $294,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. Wesbanco Bank Inc. raised its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 1,315 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $576,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 1,079 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $473,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. 84.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Motorola Solutions

In other news, CAO Katherine A. Maher sold 1,073 shares of Motorola Solutions 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 804 shares of the company's stock, valued at $336,618.72. This trade represents a 57.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.44% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSI has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Motorola Solutions in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. They set a "buy" rating and a $490.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Motorola Solutions from $570.00 to $515.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Motorola Solutions in a report on Monday, July 7th. They set a "peer perform" rating for the company. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Motorola Solutions in a report on Wednesday, May 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Motorola Solutions from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $510.67.

Motorola Solutions Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MSI traded up $5.18 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $441.25. The company's stock had a trading volume of 533,269 shares, compared to its average volume of 887,072. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.42. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $418.00 and a 200 day moving average price of $428.91. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a one year low of $388.90 and a one year high of $507.82. The company has a market cap of $73.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.73 and a beta of 0.95.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The communications equipment provider reported $3.18 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $2.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.52 billion. Motorola Solutions had a net margin of 18.67% and a return on equity of 160.93%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.81 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 13.55 EPS for the current year.

Motorola Solutions Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 13th were given a $1.09 dividend. This represents a $4.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 13th. Motorola Solutions's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.39%.

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.