Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) Shares Sold by Ramirez Asset Management Inc.

Key Points

• Ramirez Asset Management Inc. has reduced its position in Motorola Solutions by 80.6%, selling 2,475 shares and retaining only 596 shares valued at $261,000.
• Significant institutional investors, including Geode Capital Management and FMR LLC, have increased their holdings in Motorola Solutions by substantial percentages during the fourth quarter.
• Motorola Solutions reported a net margin of 18.67% and earnings per share of $3.18, exceeding analysts' estimates for the recent quarter.

Ramirez Asset Management Inc. reduced its position in shares of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI - Free Report) by 80.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 596 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock after selling 2,475 shares during the quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Motorola Solutions were worth $261,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Motorola Solutions by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 935 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $409,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Bryce Point Capital LLC purchased a new position in Motorola Solutions in the 4th quarter worth approximately $518,000. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in Motorola Solutions by 228.9% in the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 8,367 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $3,663,000 after purchasing an additional 5,823 shares in the last quarter. Perennial Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Motorola Solutions by 14.4% in the 4th quarter. Perennial Investment Advisors LLC now owns 828 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $383,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sowell Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Motorola Solutions in the 1st quarter worth approximately $874,000. 84.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Motorola Solutions Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE MSI traded down $3.59 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $435.39. 622,949 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 891,452. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.42. The stock has a market cap of $72.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.33, a P/E/G ratio of 3.75 and a beta of 0.95. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 1 year low of $388.90 and a 1 year high of $507.82. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $418.35 and a 200 day moving average of $428.78.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The communications equipment provider reported $3.18 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.52 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.81 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 13.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Motorola Solutions Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 13th were issued 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 dividend yield of 1.0%. Motorola Solutions's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Motorola Solutions

In other news, CAO Katherine A. Maher sold 1,073 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 29th. The stock was 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 approximately $336,618.72. This represents a 57.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.44% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSI has been the topic of several recent research reports. Barclays decreased their price objective on Motorola Solutions from $527.00 to $511.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 5th. UBS Group initiated coverage on Motorola Solutions in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $490.00 price objective on the stock. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Motorola Solutions in a research report on Wednesday, May 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective 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. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Motorola Solutions from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Motorola Solutions currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.