Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Grows Position in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI)

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. raised its position in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI - Free Report) by 541.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 331,910 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock after purchasing an additional 280,145 shares during the period. Motorola Solutions accounts for approximately 1.5% of Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.'s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. owned 0.20% of Motorola Solutions worth $145,312,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MSI. CVA Family Office LLC lifted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 16.3% during the 1st quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 565 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $247,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the period. West Branch Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 2,583.3% during the 1st quarter. West Branch Capital LLC now owns 161 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $71,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the period. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC lifted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 749.3% during the 1st quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 11,364 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $4,975,000 after acquiring an additional 10,026 shares during the period. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA lifted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 34.9% during the 1st quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 73,300 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $30,910,000 after acquiring an additional 18,953 shares during the period. Finally, Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Motorola Solutions by 1.8% during the first quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. now owns 105,722 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $46,286,000 after buying an additional 1,828 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.17% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. 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. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Motorola Solutions from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. 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. Finally, William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Motorola Solutions in a report on Wednesday, May 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $513.25.

Motorola Solutions Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE MSI traded down $5.49 during trading on Friday, hitting $407.58. The stock had a trading volume of 718,101 shares, compared to its average volume of 811,501. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 12 month low of $375.82 and a 12 month high of $507.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.30, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The company has a market capitalization of $68.03 billion, a PE ratio of 44.21, a PEG ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 0.96. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $418.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $440.99.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The communications equipment provider reported $3.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.01 by $0.17. Motorola Solutions had a net margin of 14.58% and a return on equity of 197.59%. The firm had revenue of $2.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.81 EPS. The business's revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 13.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Motorola Solutions Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Friday, June 13th will be given a dividend of $1.09 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 13th. This represents a $4.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.07%. Motorola Solutions's payout ratio is currently 36.39%.

Insider Activity at Motorola Solutions

In related news, CAO Katherine A. Maher sold 1,073 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 804 shares in the company, valued at approximately $336,618.72. This represents a 57.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 1.44% of the stock is owned by company 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.