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Motorola Solutions · growth

Motorola Solutions Raises 2026 Outlook. Is 12% Q3 Growth Organic?

By Orbitrum

Motorola Solutions raised its 2026 revenue outlook to $13.050 billion, but Q3 sales growth was not entirely organic: reported sales rose 12%, while organic revenue increased 5% after excluding recently acquired businesses.

Motorola Solutions financial results graphic highlighting its increased 2026 revenue outlook of $13.050 billion and record $16.6 billion ending backlog.

What changed in Motorola Solutions' 2026 guidance?

The company raised its full-year revenue forecast by $75 million to $13.050 billion from $12.975 billion, increased non-GAAP EPS guidance to $17.94-$17.99 from $17.62-$17.72, and raised its operating cash flow expectation to $3.050 billion.

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What does the gap between reported and organic growth mean for investors?

Q3 reported sales reached $3.376 billion, up 12%, but Motorola's reconciliation excluded $323 million of acquisition-related sales and showed organic revenue of $3.053 billion, up 5% from $2.897 billion a year earlier. The organic measure excludes revenue from acquired businesses owned for fewer than four full quarters, showing that acquisitions contributed materially to reported growth.

Why did GAAP and non-GAAP earnings move in opposite directions?

Q3 GAAP diluted EPS fell 8% to $3.06 from $3.33, while non-GAAP EPS increased 16% to $4.69 from $4.06. Motorola's non-GAAP adjustments exclude an $87 million contingent earnout adjustment, share-based compensation, intangible amortization and other items; the company identified the increased Silvus earnout as the primary reason GAAP operating margin declined to 23.0% from 25.6%.

Did Q3 cash flow improve alongside the higher full-year forecast?

No: Q3 operating cash flow declined to $662 million from $799 million, while free cash flow fell to $589 million from $733 million, primarily because of higher tax and interest payments. The $3.050 billion full-year operating cash flow figure is management's updated expectation, not cash already generated.

Could the higher outlook support Motorola Solutions stock?

Motorola Solutions trades on the New York Stock Exchange under MSI, and higher revenue, non-GAAP EPS and operating cash flow forecasts strengthen its forward earnings and cash-generation outlook. However, 5% organic Q3 growth and declining GAAP EPS provide important counterpoints to the headline growth figures, and the guidance revision does not establish a future share-price outcome.

What should investors watch in the fourth quarter?

Motorola expects Q4 2026 revenue growth of approximately 13% and non-GAAP EPS between $5.47 and $5.52 per share. Investors should monitor organic growth, operating margins and cash generation as higher memory and component costs, supply-chain uncertainty and elevated inventory levels remain business risks.

Sources

Original signal: Motorola Solutions ↗

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