Marietta Investment Partners LLC Increases Holdings in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI)

Marietta Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) by 189.4% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,535 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,659 shares during the period. Marietta Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Motorola Solutions were worth $1,172,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MSI. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Motorola Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new stake in Motorola Solutions during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. First Command Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in Motorola Solutions in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Motorola Solutions during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Motorola Solutions during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. 84.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSI has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Motorola Solutions from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Motorola Solutions from $440.00 to $530.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Motorola Solutions from $495.00 to $505.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Motorola Solutions from $529.00 to $527.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $505.88.

Motorola Solutions Price Performance

MSI stock opened at $423.39 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $446.45 and a 200 day simple moving average of $459.51. The stock has a market cap of $70.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 1.03. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 1 year low of $332.98 and a 1 year 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.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The communications equipment provider reported $3.75 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.85 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $3.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3 billion. Motorola Solutions had a net margin of 14.58% and a return on equity of 197.59%. Research analysts anticipate that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 13.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Motorola Solutions Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $1.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $4.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.03%. Motorola Solutions’s payout ratio is 47.29%.

Motorola Solutions Company Profile

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.