Gregory Q. Brown Sells 82,765 Shares of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) Stock

Key Points

• Gregory Q. Brown, CEO of Motorola Solutions, sold 82,765 shares of the company’s stock on August 14th for approximately $38.32 million, reducing his ownership by nearly 59%.
• Motorola Solutions reported earnings of $3.57 per share for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations and showing a 5.2% increase in revenue year-over-year.
• While Wall Street analysts have a mixed perspective, the current average rating for Motorola Solutions' stock is a "Moderate Buy" with a target price around $512.67.

Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI - Get Free Report) CEO Gregory Q. Brown sold 82,765 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $463.05, for a total value of $38,324,333.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 57,836 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,780,959.80. This trade represents a 58.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Motorola Solutions Stock Up 0.2%

NYSE MSI traded up $1.11 during trading on Monday, hitting $461.42. 732,029 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 914,200. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 12 month low of $388.90 and a 12 month high of $507.82. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $425.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $427.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.86. The company has a market capitalization of $76.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.15, a PEG ratio of 3.74 and a beta of 0.97.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The communications equipment provider reported $3.57 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.36 by $0.21. Motorola Solutions had a return on equity of 134.30% and a net margin of 19.08%. The company had revenue of $2.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.74 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.24 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 13.55 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSI has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen cut Motorola Solutions from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Motorola Solutions in a research report on Wednesday, May 28th. UBS Group raised their target price on Motorola Solutions from $490.00 to $510.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Motorola Solutions in a research report on Monday, July 7th. They issued a "peer perform" rating for the company. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on Motorola Solutions from $511.00 to $509.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $512.67.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Motorola Solutions

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. ORG Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in Motorola Solutions by 346.2% during the first quarter. ORG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 58 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Signature Resources Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Motorola Solutions during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Saudi Central Bank bought a new position in Motorola Solutions during the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Motorola Solutions by 289.5% during the second quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 74 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Community Bank N.A. acquired a new stake in Motorola Solutions during the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 84.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.

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