First Trust Advisors LP Buys 42,276 Shares of Zebra Technologies Co. (NASDAQ:ZBRA)

First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in Zebra Technologies Co. (NASDAQ:ZBRA - Free Report) by 314.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 55,700 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 42,276 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP owned 0.11% of Zebra Technologies worth $21,512,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its position in shares of Zebra Technologies by 102.9% in the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 71 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Zebra Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Zebra Technologies in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Avalon Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Zebra Technologies during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in Zebra Technologies by 159.5% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 96 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. 91.03% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Zebra Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ZBRA opened at $246.24 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $269.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $346.98. The stock has a market cap of $12.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.19 and a beta of 1.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Zebra Technologies Co. has a 12 month low of $205.73 and a 12 month high of $427.76.

Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ:ZBRA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The industrial products company reported $3.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.85 by ($0.23). The business had revenue of $1.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.31 billion. Zebra Technologies had a net margin of 10.60% and a return on equity of 18.34%. As a group, analysts predict that Zebra Technologies Co. will post 13.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Anders Gustafsson acquired 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $311.00 per share, for a total transaction of $155,500.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 202,176 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,876,736. This trade represents a 0.25 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.84% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on ZBRA. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price target on shares of Zebra Technologies from $430.00 to $395.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Zebra Technologies from $390.00 to $232.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Citigroup reduced their price target on Zebra Technologies from $371.00 to $250.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Barclays lowered their price objective on Zebra Technologies from $407.00 to $326.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on Zebra Technologies from $432.00 to $380.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $343.36.

Zebra Technologies Company Profile

Zebra Technologies Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides enterprise asset intelligence solutions in the automatic identification and data capture solutions industry worldwide. It operates in two segments, Asset Intelligence & Tracking, and Enterprise Visibility & Mobility. The company designs, manufactures, and sells printers that produce labels, wristbands, tickets, receipts, and plastic cards; dye-sublimination thermal card printers that produce images, which are used for personal identification, access control, and financial transactions; radio frequency identification device (RFID) printers that encode data into passive RFID transponders; accessories and options for printers, including carrying cases, vehicle mounts, and battery chargers; stock and customized thermal labels, receipts, ribbons, plastic cards, and RFID tags for printers; and temperature-monitoring labels primarily used in vaccine distribution.

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