Motorola Solutions stock gets higher 2026 outlook after Q3 growth
Published on 11/06/2026 at 14:16 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSGrowth lifts full-year outlook
- Third-quarter sales rose 12% year over year, with double-digit growth in both operating segments.
- Record orders lifted ending backlog to 16.6 billion US dollars, while acquisitions expanded the portfolio.
- Management expects fourth-quarter revenue growth of about 13% and higher full-year operating cash flow.
Motorola Solutions reported stronger third-quarter demand on Wednesday, November 4, and raised its full-year outlook again. The company said in its third-quarter financial release that sales increased 12% from a year earlier to 3.4 billion US dollars.
Record orders strengthen demand picture
Growth extended across both operating segments. Products and Systems Integration sales rose 12%, while Software and Services sales increased 13%. Motorola Solutions attributed the performance to growth in North America and international markets, with acquisitions contributing 211 million US dollars and foreign-exchange movements adding 11 million US dollars.
Ending backlog reached a record 16.6 billion US dollars, 14% above the year-earlier level. Products and Systems Integration backlog increased 18%, while Software and Services backlog rose 13%. Chief executive Greg Brown said demand remained exceptionally strong across the company's safety and security solutions and that record third-quarter orders supported the new backlog high.
Adjusted margins improve as costs rise
GAAP earnings per share were 3.06 US dollars, compared with 3.33 US dollars a year earlier. The decline came mainly from a higher contingent earnout adjustment related to Silvus. On a non-GAAP basis, earnings per share reached 4.69 US dollars, and the non-GAAP operating margin expanded to 32.5% from 30.5%.
GAAP operating margin narrowed to 23.0% from 25.6%, reflecting the Silvus earnout adjustment. Motorola Solutions also reported higher memory costs linked to strong artificial-intelligence demand and said inventory levels are expected to remain elevated while it manages supply-chain volatility, tariffs and component availability.
Guidance rises for revenue and cash flow
For the fourth quarter, management expects revenue growth of about 13% and non-GAAP earnings per share between 5.47 and 5.52 US dollars. Full-year revenue guidance was raised to 13.050 billion US dollars from 12.975 billion US dollars, while the non-GAAP earnings outlook increased to 17.94 to 17.99 US dollars per share from 17.62 to 17.72 US dollars.
The company also lifted its full-year operating cash-flow expectation to 3.050 billion US dollars. Third-quarter operating cash flow was 662 million US dollars, down from 799 million US dollars a year earlier, while free cash flow declined to 589 million US dollars from 733 million US dollars because of higher tax and interest payments.
Motorola Solutions completed its 1.3 billion US dollar acquisition of counter-drone specialist D-Fend Solutions during the quarter and bought AI software provider DeepNeuronic for 29 million US dollars. It also increased its share-repurchase authorization by 2 billion US dollars.
The real-time quote of Motorola Solutions stock was 458.45 euros on Lang & Schwarz at 14:07 CET on Friday, November 6.
Motorola Solutions at a glance
- Company: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
- ISIN: US6200763075
- Ticker: MSI
- Home exchange: New York Stock Exchange
- Lang & Schwarz quote: 458.45 euros at 14:07 CET on Friday, November 6, 2026
- Third-quarter sales: 3.4 billion US dollars, up 12% year over year
- Ending backlog: 16.6 billion US dollars, up 14% year over year
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