Morgan Stanley $MS Stock Sold by Westwind Capital

Westwind Capital lessened its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 8.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 39,766 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 3,871 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley accounts for about 1.8% of Westwind Capital’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Westwind Capital’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $7,479,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Purpose Unlimited Inc. purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 143.4% in the second quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 129 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Atlatl Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 55.7% during the second quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 137 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bayban lifted its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 72.5% in the 1st quarter. Bayban now owns 188 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. 84.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MS has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $183.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $235.00 to $210.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Morgan Stanley from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $243.00 price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $219.43.

Morgan Stanley News Summary

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 Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MS traded down $2.19 on Thursday, reaching $187.52. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 5,854,390 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,167,421. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $207.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of $202.85. Morgan Stanley has a 52-week low of $151.84 and a 52-week high of $232.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.65, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. The company has a market cap of $295.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.16, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.22.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.57. The firm had revenue of $21.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.67 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 15.65% and a return on equity of 19.31%. The business’s revenue was up 27.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.13 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 12.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 31st were paid 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 a positive change from Morgan Stanley’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio is 37.19%.

Morgan Stanley announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback 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 reacquire up to 5.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.