Analyst Calls Off Motorola’s Funeral; Shares Rise

Motorola’s (NYSE: MOT) shares rose today after an analyst said the company’s second-quarter report was the beginning of a steady upswing for the troubled handset maker, AP reports. The handset-maker’s shares increased almost 3 percent, or 30 cents, to trade at around $10.32 a share. In the past year, the stock has ranged between $6.62 and $19.68 a share.

AP reported that Citi Investment’s Jim Suva said in a note that after a year of declining marketshare and an over dependence on the Razr feature phone, Motorola’s quarterly results did “not only put to rest the plans for the funeral but more importantly are the early innings a gradual steady improvement.” There are some signs of a recovery: The Schaumburg, Ill.-based company reported a small second-quarter profit and said it shipped more cell phones than in the first quarter; it retained its first-place marketshare in the U.S., according to analysts; and sales increased across the company’s units from the first quarter. The company also hired Qualcomm’s (NSDQ: QCOM) Sanjay Jha as head of the company’s handset division, who Suva called “the tonic for Motorola’s ills.” Suva rates the stock “Buy” with a $12.50 price target.

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