Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. lessened its stake in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI - Free Report) by 0.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 212,943 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock after selling 1,495 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.13% of Motorola Solutions worth $93,229,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. ORG Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 346.2% in the first quarter. ORG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 58 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Motorola Solutions during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Motorola Solutions during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Motorola Solutions in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Community Bank N.A. acquired a new position in shares of Motorola Solutions in the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.17% of the company's stock.

Motorola Solutions Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MSI traded up $2.28 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $424.55. 494,717 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 824,933. The stock has a market cap of $70.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.44, a PEG ratio of 3.66 and a beta of 0.95. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 1 year low of $384.51 and a 1 year high of $507.82. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $417.48 and a 200 day simple moving average of $434.13. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.42.

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

Motorola Solutions Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Friday, June 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.09 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. This represents a $4.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.03%. Motorola Solutions's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.39%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Motorola Solutions in a report on Wednesday, May 28th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Motorola Solutions from $527.00 to $511.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen cut Motorola Solutions from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Motorola Solutions from $570.00 to $515.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $513.25.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Motorola Solutions news, CAO Katherine A. Maher sold 1,073 shares of Motorola Solutions stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $418.68, for a total value of $449,243.64. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 804 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $336,618.72. The trade was a 57.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.44% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.