Morgan Stanley $MS Stock Sold by Westwind Capital

Westwind Capital reduced its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 8.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 39,766 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 3,871 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley comprises 1.8% of Westwind Capital’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Westwind Capital’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $7,479,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MS. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. bought a new position in Morgan Stanley in the 1st quarter worth about $8,854,000. Diversify Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Morgan Stanley by 201.0% in the first quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 17,559 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,890,000 after purchasing an additional 11,726 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 10.9% during the 2nd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 294,047 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $61,468,000 after purchasing an additional 28,877 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 12.0% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 279,622 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $58,452,000 after purchasing an additional 30,010 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in Morgan Stanley by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 9,171,655 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,628,244,000 after purchasing an additional 83,472 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.19% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on MS shares. Zacks Research cut shares of Morgan Stanley from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Morgan Stanley from $211.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Oppenheimer downgraded Morgan Stanley from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Weiss Ratings raised Morgan Stanley from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $235.00 to $210.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Morgan Stanley currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $219.43.

Morgan Stanley Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of MS stock traded down $2.19 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $187.52. 5,854,390 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,167,421. Morgan Stanley has a fifty-two week low of $151.84 and a fifty-two week high of $232.25. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $207.95 and its 200-day moving average is $202.85. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.65. The company has a market cap of $295.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.22.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.57. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 19.31% and a net margin of 15.65%.The firm had revenue of $21.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.13 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 27.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 12.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st were given a $1.15 dividend. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 31st. This is an increase from Morgan Stanley’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. Morgan Stanley’s payout ratio is 37.19%.

Morgan Stanley announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, June 24th that authorizes the company to buyback $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to purchase up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Key Morgan Stanley News

Here are the key news stories impacting Morgan Stanley this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Investor Jim Cramer continued to endorse Morgan Stanley following its pullback, pointing to the company’s buyback authorization and leadership under CEO Ted Pick as reasons to consider the stock attractive at lower levels. Jim Cramer Backs Morgan Stanley After Its Pullback
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity—26,930 Morgan Stanley call options traded, 63% above average—suggests some traders are positioning for a rebound, although options activity can also reflect hedging or short-term speculation.
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley plans to convert eight Eaton Vance municipal-bond mutual funds, representing nearly $10 billion in assets, into ETFs. The move could improve product flexibility and support the firm’s asset-management platform if shareholders approve it. Morgan Stanley Plans Municipal Fund ETF Conversions
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley is bringing approximately 3,800 jobs to Dallas, expanding its operating footprint. The hiring announcement is strategically positive but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings expectations. Morgan Stanley Brings Jobs to Dallas
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group downgraded Morgan Stanley from “buy” to “hold,” adding to caution around valuation and near-term upside.
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen initiated coverage with a “hold” rating and a $210 price target. Although the target implies upside from the reported share price, the neutral rating may limit buying enthusiasm. TD Cowen Initiates Morgan Stanley Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are focused on whether Morgan Stanley can repeat its recent earnings outperformance. Recent commentary indicates the company may lack the combination of positive earnings revisions and estimate-beat indicators investors typically seek ahead of results. Morgan Stanley Earnings Expected to Grow

Morgan Stanley Company Profile

Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm serving corporations, governments, financial institutions, individuals and other investors. The company provides investment banking and advisory services, including mergers and acquisitions advice, equity and debt underwriting, securities sales and trading, and corporate lending.

Through its Wealth Management business, Morgan Stanley offers financial planning, brokerage, investment advisory and banking services to individual investors, businesses and institutions.