Benson Investment Management Company Inc. made a notable move during the first quarter by acquiring 12,448 shares of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MSI), as reported in its latest 13F filing with the SEC. This investment, valued at approximately $5.45 million, now represents 2.4% of Benson’s portfolio, making Motorola Solutions its 15th largest holding.
In a similar vein, other institutional investors have been active, either increasing or adjusting their stakes. For example, Contravisory Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Motorola Solutions by 1.6%, now owning 20,970 shares valued at $9.18 million. Similarly, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings by 3.4%, bringing its total to 12,055 shares worth $5.28 million. Unigestion Holding SA also increased its stake by 2.4%, owning 98,463 shares valued at $43.1 million. Meanwhile, RFG Advisory LLC raised its holdings by 6.5%, bringing its total to 708 shares valued at $310,000, and Fulton Bank N.A. significantly expanded its stake by 28.1%, owning 888 shares worth $389,000. Currently, institutional investors collectively own 84.17% of the stock.
In other significant news, Katherine A. Maher, the Chief Accounting Officer (CAO) of Motorola Solutions, sold 1,073 shares of the company on May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $418.68, totaling $449,243.64. Following this transaction, Maher now holds 804 shares, valued at approximately $336,618.72. This sale marks a 57.17% decrease in her position in the company, and it was disclosed to the SEC.
In the analyst community, opinions on Motorola Solutions are varied, but many are optimistic about the company's performance. William Blair reaffirmed its "outperform" rating on May 28th, while JPMorgan Chase & Co. revised its target price downward from $570 to $515, maintaining an "overweight" rating. Other analysts, such as Barclays, reduced their target from $527 to $511. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley raised its target to $505, with an "equal weight" rating. Of note, MarketBeat data shows that Motorola Solutions has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $513.25.
Motorola Solutions' stock opened at $422.51 on Wednesday, with a market cap of $70.52 billion. Over the past year, the stock has fluctuated between a low of $365.24 and a high of $507.82. As of the latest data, Motorola Solutions posted a quarterly EPS of $3.18, exceeding analysts' expectations of $3.01, and reported revenues of $2.53 billion—slightly surpassing the forecasted $2.52 billion.
The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.09 per share, payable on July 15th to investors of record as of June 13th. This dividend marks an annualized payout of $4.36 per share, yielding 1.03%. The dividend payout ratio stands at 36.39%.
Motorola Solutions continues to make strides in the public safety and enterprise security sectors. With a focus on advanced communications infrastructure, devices, and video security solutions, the company provides critical solutions for government, commercial, and public safety customers globally, including in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. It operates through two key segments: Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services.