Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) SVP James Niewiara Sells 180 Shares of Company Stock

Key Points

• SVP James Niewiara sold 180 Motorola Solutions shares on November 6 at an average price of $515.16, for proceeds of $92,728.80.
• Motorola Solutions beat Q3 earnings and revenue estimates, with revenue up 12.2% year over year; the company also raised its outlook and reported a record backlog.
• Other senior executives also disclosed sizable share sales, including CEO Gregory Q. Brown, who sold 70,780 shares. The sales may draw investor attention, though they do not establish executives’ motives.

Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI - Get Free Report) SVP James Niewiara sold 180 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $515.16, for a total value of $92,728.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Motorola Solutions Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of Motorola Solutions stock traded down $1.08 on Tuesday, reaching $526.89. The company had a trading volume of 1,248,996 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,067,217. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 52-week low of $359.36 and a 52-week high of $548.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.13, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.10. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $468.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $442.54. The firm has a market cap of $87.20 billion, a PE ratio of 42.39, a PEG ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.86.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The communications equipment provider reported $4.69 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.42 by $0.27. Motorola Solutions had a return on equity of 99.35% and a net margin of 16.54%. The company had revenue of $3.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.26 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.06 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 15.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Motorola Solutions Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th were given a $1.21 dividend. This represents a $4.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 16th. Motorola Solutions's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.94%.

Key Headlines Impacting Motorola Solutions

Here are the key news stories impacting Motorola Solutions this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Motorola Solutions beat Q3 earnings and revenue expectations, raised its outlook, and reported a record backlog. The company’s shares gained roughly 7% following results, while rival Axon fell after missing earnings and giving cautious guidance. Axon vs. Motorola: Which Public Safety Stock Has More Upside After Q3 Earnings?
• Negative Sentiment: Several senior leaders disclosed substantial share sales executed November 6–9. CEO Gregory Q. Brown sold 70,780 shares—about 51% of his reported stake—and the CFO and COO also made sizable sales. The clustered insider selling could raise concerns about executive confidence, although sales alone do not establish the executives’ motives. CEO SEC filing

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Motorola Solutions

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MSI. Evelyn Partners Asset Management Ltd acquired a new position in Motorola Solutions during the 1st quarter worth $1,052,000. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 49,900 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $22,254,000 after purchasing an additional 3,911 shares during the last quarter. Mattern Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Motorola Solutions in the 1st quarter valued at about $10,657,000. BNP Paribas raised its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 10.8% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas now owns 29,636 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $12,307,000 after purchasing an additional 2,884 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA bought a new position in shares of Motorola Solutions during the first quarter worth about $2,204,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.17% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MSI shares. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $476.00 target price (up from $470.00) on shares of Motorola Solutions in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Northcoast Research upped their price target on Motorola Solutions from $510.00 to $525.00 in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Truist Financial increased their price target on Motorola Solutions from $550.00 to $555.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 5th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Motorola Solutions from $529.00 to $598.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 5th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Motorola Solutions from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $545.70.

About Motorola Solutions

Motorola Solutions, Inc. provides communications, software, video security and related services for public safety agencies and commercial and industrial organizations. Its products include two-way radios and land mobile radio systems, dispatch consoles, command center software, video surveillance systems and access control technology. The company's offerings are designed to help customers coordinate communications, manage incidents and support security operations. Motorola Solutions also provides services such as system integration, maintenance and technical support.

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