Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) insider Eric Grossman sold 11,118 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.75, for a total transaction of $2,120,758.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 169,403 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,313,622.25. The trade was a 6.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.
Morgan Stanley Stock Performance
NYSE:MS opened at $190.55 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39. The company has a market cap of $301.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.19. Morgan Stanley has a fifty-two week low of $104.78 and a fifty-two week high of $194.59. The firm's 50 day moving average is $169.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $171.10.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.41. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 14.65% and a return on equity of 17.89%. The company had revenue of $20.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.23 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.60 EPS. Morgan Stanley's revenue for the quarter was up 16.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 11.8 EPS for the current year.
Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 30th will be issued a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 30th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.23%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Morgan Stanley from $173.00 to $179.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and set a $207.00 price target on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $201.33.
Get Our Latest Research Report on MS
Key Stories Impacting Morgan Stanley
Here are the key news stories impacting Morgan Stanley this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on MS to $225 and reiterated a Buy, citing management messaging and business momentum — this boosts analyst-driven demand. BofA Lifts PT on Morgan Stanley (MS) to $225 From $220
- Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital raised its MS price target to $220 and maintained an Outperform — another institutional endorsement that likely attracted buyers. BMO Capital adjusts PT on Morgan Stanley to 220
- Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s new spot Bitcoin ETF continues to see inflows (MSBT ~ $71M in the latest weekly flows), which helps fee and asset-gathering narratives for the bank’s wealth/asset-management business. Spot Bitcoin ETFs Add $996M as Flows Near Record High
- Neutral Sentiment: MS analysts remain active — the firm has been initiating/adjusting coverage on large names (e.g., T‑Mobile, Verizon, AT&T) and raising targets across sectors. That highlights the strength of MS’s research franchise (positive for fee-based business over time, but not an immediate earnings driver). Morgan Stanley Assumes Coverage of T-Mobile US (TMUS)
- Positive Sentiment: Momentum indicators and media coverage note MS has been a top-performing financial stock recently (recent writeups highlight a multi-day/week gain), which can attract momentum and ETF flows into the name. Morgan Stanley (MS) Is Up 6.29% in One Week: What You Should Know
- Negative Sentiment: Insider selling flagged today: Eric F. Grossman sold 11,118 shares (~$2.1M). Insider sales can sap near-term sentiment even if driven by personal liquidity needs. Eric F. Grossman Insider Sale
- Negative Sentiment: Additional SEC-filed insider sales were reported (multi-million-dollar disposals covered by AmericanBankingNews), which some investors may view as a cautionary signal. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Insider Sells $9,744,068.12 in Stock Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Insider Sells $2,779,935.60 in Stock
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MS. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,782 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,607,000 after buying an additional 1,185 shares in the last quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC lifted its position in Morgan Stanley by 69.0% during the 2nd quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 8,964 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,263,000 after acquiring an additional 3,661 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 90.9% in the 2nd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 16,148 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,378,000 after acquiring an additional 7,688 shares during the period. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main grew its position in Morgan Stanley by 6.3% in the second quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 263,575 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $37,127,000 after acquiring an additional 15,623 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jupiter Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Morgan Stanley by 7.8% in the second quarter. Jupiter Wealth Management LLC now owns 52,825 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $7,805,000 after acquiring an additional 3,807 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.19% of the company's stock.
Morgan Stanley Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1935 by Henry S. Morgan and Harold Stanley, the company provides a broad range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services to corporations, governments, institutions and individual investors. Leadership has been guided by a senior executive team and board of directors; James P. Gorman has served as the company's chief executive and chairman in recent years.
The firm's primary business activities are organized around three principal businesses: Institutional Securities, Wealth Management and Investment Management.
Further Reading
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