Lesser-known Motorola continues to impress

Article Excerpt

In January 2011, the old Motorola Inc. spun off its cellphone business as a separate firm. The remaining operations, which make police radios and related equipment, became Motorola Solutions. The stock has gained 550% since the split, as it has successfully added other products, like video surveillance systems. Investors should also continue to benefit from the company’s shift to software and services. That helps to cut its reliance on hardware sales. MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC. $241 is a buy. The company (New York symbol MSI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 169.3 million; Market cap: $40.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 5.2; Dividend yield: 1.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.motorolasolutions.com) makes communications equipment such as two-way radios for police and fire vehicles, as well as high-definition surveillance systems. It also makes software that helps governments manage their emergency response call centres. Since 2015, Motorola has spent $4.5 billion on acquisitions. These were mainly smaller firms that let it enter new markets. For example, in…