Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) Raises Dividend to $1.21 Per Share

Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI) declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, November 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th will be given a dividend of 1.21 per share by the communications equipment provider on Thursday, January 15th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 15th. This is a 11,000.9% increase from Motorola Solutions’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.01.

Motorola Solutions has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 13 consecutive years. Motorola Solutions has a payout ratio of 27.4% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Motorola Solutions to earn $14.79 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $4.36 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 29.5%.

Motorola Solutions Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of MSI stock opened at $371.33 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $61.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.99, a P/E/G ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 0.96. Motorola Solutions has a 12-month low of $371.50 and a 12-month high of $503.62. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $439.65 and a 200-day moving average of $434.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.86.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) last released its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The communications equipment provider reported $4.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.85 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $3.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.99 billion. Motorola Solutions had a return on equity of 134.30% and a net margin of 19.08%.The company’s revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.74 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Motorola Solutions will post 13.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Motorola Solutions

In other Motorola Solutions news, SVP James A. Niewiara sold 1,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $485.43, for a total value of $825,231.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 14,542 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,059,123.06. This trade represents a 10.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, COO John P. Molloy sold 37,514 shares of Motorola Solutions stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $462.38, for a total transaction of $17,345,723.32. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 59,328 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,432,080.64. This represents a 38.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 148,128 shares of company stock valued at $70,431,641. Company insiders own 1.44% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Motorola Solutions

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Motorola Solutions in the fourth quarter valued at about $208,000. Sigma Planning Corp bought a new stake in Motorola Solutions in the 1st quarter worth about $210,000. Private Advisor Group LLC increased its stake in Motorola Solutions by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 4,280 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,874,000 after buying an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 17.6% in the 1st quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 3,487 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $1,527,000 after buying an additional 523 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its holdings in shares of Motorola Solutions by 2.9% in the first quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 12,855 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $5,628,000 after acquiring an additional 367 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.17% of the company’s stock.

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.