U.K. acquisition spurs dividend hike

Article Excerpt

MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC. $80 (New York symbol MSI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 166.0 million; Market cap: $13.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; Dividend yield: 2.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.motorolasolutions.com) paid $1.0 billion for Airwave in February 2016. That firm provides two-way radio and other communications services to 300 emergency and public-service agencies in the U.K. In the quarter ended October 1, 2016, Motorola’s sales rose 7.7%, to $1.5 billion from $1.4 billion a year earlier. Airwave contributed $131 million to sales in the quarter. Without unusual items, earnings per share jumped 67.1%, to $1.37 from $0.82. Beginning with the January 2017 payment, Motorola will raise its quarterly dividend by 14.6%, to $0.47 a share from $0.41. The new annual rate of $1.88 yields 2.4%. The stock is up 11% in the past year, and trades at 16.9 times the $4.72 a share the company will probably earn for 2016. However, Motorola’s reliance on acquisitions to spur its growth…