WINTON GROUP Ltd significantly reduced its stake in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MSI) by an impressive 88.1% in the final quarter of the year, as revealed in its latest 13F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm now holds only 635 shares of Motorola Solutions after offloading 4,722 shares during this period. The value of its remaining holdings stands at $294,000.
This move by WINTON GROUP is part of a broader trend, as several hedge funds have made notable adjustments to their positions in Motorola Solutions. D.A. Davidson & Co. increased its shareholding by 13.0% in the third quarter, bringing its total to 1,245 shares worth $560,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares. Townsquare Capital LLC also raised its stake by 49.9%, now holding 4,724 shares valued at $2.12 million. Glenmede Trust Co. NA slightly boosted its holdings by 1.5%, owning 6,144 shares worth $2.76 million, while Public Sector Pension Investment Board increased its shareholding by 14.1%, owning 7,292 shares valued at $3.28 million. Additionally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position worth $6.17 million in the same period.
A significant 84.17% of Motorola Solutions' stock is now held by institutional investors and hedge funds, illustrating the firm’s strong institutional backing.
Motorola Solutions has also been a topic of recent research, with several analysts adjusting their views on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded its rating from "hold" to "buy" on February 18th, while Barclays revised its price target downward from $529 to $527 but maintained an "overweight" rating. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley raised its target price from $495 to $505, giving the stock an "equal weight" rating. As a result, Motorola Solutions now holds a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $505.88.
On February 13th, Motorola Solutions announced its quarterly earnings, reporting $3.75 per share, falling short of analysts’ expectations of $3.85. Despite the slight miss, the company posted a solid net margin of 14.58% and an impressive return on equity of 197.59%, with quarterly revenue of $3.01 billion, in line with expectations. Analysts project the company will earn $13.55 per share for the current fiscal year.
In terms of stock performance, Motorola Solutions opened at $433.38 on Monday. Over the past year, its stock has ranged from a low of $332.98 to a high of $507.82. The company's market capitalization stands at $72.35 billion, and it has a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.00. Motorola Solutions is also approaching a potential buy point, as analysts have revised their price targets upward.
As for dividends, Motorola Solutions declared a quarterly dividend of $1.09 per share, set to be paid on April 15th to shareholders of record as of March 14th. This dividend represents an annualized payout of $4.36, yielding 1.01%. The company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) stands at a healthy 47.29%.
Motorola Solutions continues to provide innovative public safety and enterprise security solutions across the globe, with operations in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and beyond. The company is organized into two main segments: Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The first segment provides a wide array of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security solutions, while also focusing on system integration for government, public safety, and commercial clients.