Baird Financial Group Inc. significantly increased its holdings in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MSI) by 81.3% during the second quarter of the year, as revealed in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm now owns 103,760 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock, having purchased an additional 46,518 shares during this period. At the end of the quarter, Baird Financial held 0.06% of Motorola Solutions, valued at $43.6 million.
A number of other institutional investors also adjusted their positions in MSI. Signature Resources Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Motorola Solutions, investing approximately $25,000 in the second quarter. The Saudi Central Bank also took a position in the company, purchasing shares worth about $29,000 during the first quarter. Meanwhile, Whipplewood Advisors LLC significantly boosted its holdings by 289.5%, purchasing 55 additional shares for a total of 74 shares, bringing its investment to $31,000. Rossby Financial LLC increased its stake by 148.6%, adding 52 shares and raising its position to 87 shares valued at $37,000. Lastly, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in the company worth $39,000. Collectively, institutional investors own 84.17% of Motorola Solutions.
In corporate insider news, James A. Niewiara, Senior Vice President of Motorola Solutions, sold 1,700 shares of the company's stock on September 11th at an average price of $485.43, netting a total of $825,231. This transaction reduced his holdings by 10.47%, leaving him with 14,542 shares valued at approximately $7.06 million. Similarly, CEO Gregory Q. Brown sold 50,000 shares on September 12th for $24.18 million at an average price of $483.50. Following this transaction, Brown retained 46,936 shares, valued at around $22.7 million. In total, insiders sold 77,600 shares worth about $37.5 million in the last quarter, leaving insiders with just 1.44% of the company’s stock.
From a Wall Street perspective, analysts have recently adjusted their ratings for Motorola Solutions. Barclays lowered its target price from $509 to $495 while maintaining an “overweight” rating. Northcoast Research upgraded its rating from “neutral” to “buy” with a price target of $450. Piper Sandler reiterated its “neutral” rating but lowered the price target from $495 to $465. UBS Group raised its target from $490 to $510, maintaining a “buy” rating. Currently, seven analysts rate the stock as a “Buy” while three have issued a “Hold” rating, with an average target price of $495.
Motorola Solutions has shown solid performance in recent quarters. The company reported earnings of $4.06 per share for the quarter ending October 31st, surpassing analysts' expectations by $0.21. Revenue for the period reached $3.01 billion, up 7.8% from the previous year. The company also recently announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $1.21 per share, payable on January 15th. This is a significant rise from the previous dividend of just $0.01, reflecting Motorola's commitment to rewarding its shareholders.
Motorola Solutions continues to deliver advanced public safety and enterprise security solutions worldwide, with a strong portfolio in products and systems integration, as well as software and services.
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