Jupiter Wealth Management LLC Makes New Investment in Morgan Stanley $MS

Jupiter Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 58,807 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $12,293,000. Morgan Stanley comprises 4.9% of Jupiter Wealth Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MS. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 2nd quarter valued at about $78,825,883,310,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,736,648,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,040,227,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in Morgan Stanley by 29.1% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 14,917,776 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,648,354,000 after buying an additional 3,364,080 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in Morgan Stanley by 142.4% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,122,060 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $511,723,000 after buying an additional 1,833,844 shares in the last quarter. 84.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

Shares of MS stock opened at $207.58 on Friday. Morgan Stanley has a 12 month low of $142.90 and a 12 month high of $232.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.65, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $327.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.22. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $217.16 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $193.98.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.46 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.57. The company had revenue of $21.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.67 billion. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 19.31% and a net margin of 15.65%.The business’s revenue was up 27.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.13 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, June 24th that allows the company to buyback $20.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to reacquire up to 5.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st were given a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is an increase from Morgan Stanley’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.19%.

Trending Headlines about Morgan Stanley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley selected Dallas for a major expansion outside New York, signaling long-term investment in Texas, potential operating-cost advantages, and broader access to talent. The move could support growth and geographic diversification, although it may also attract political scrutiny. Morgan Stanley picks Dallas for expansion outside NYC
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s research highlighted a potential 38-gigawatt power shortfall for AI data centers, identifying industrial and infrastructure companies that could benefit. This reinforces the firm’s advisory and research relevance in the fast-growing AI infrastructure market. Morgan Stanley Says AI Data Centers Face a 38-Gigawatt Power Gap
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reportedly disclosed a 5.6% stake in IonQ, potentially providing upside if the quantum-computing investment appreciates. The position also demonstrates continued access to emerging-technology opportunities, though it is unlikely to materially affect Morgan Stanley’s earnings near term. Morgan Stanley Discloses 5.6% Stake in IonQ
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its gold outlook to above $5,000 per ounce by 2027, which may benefit commodities research, trading, and client activity. However, the forecast itself has limited direct impact on the company’s fundamentals. Morgan Stanley Forecasts Gold to Surpass $5,000 by 2027
• Negative Sentiment: A former advisor has accused Morgan Stanley of gender and disability discrimination, inappropriate pressure, confidentiality breaches, and denial of medical leave. The allegations are not adjudicated, but they create potential legal, compliance, and reputational risks. What Is Morgan Stanley Being Accused Of?
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank hired Richard Tory, described as Morgan Stanley’s leading Canadian banker. The departure could raise concerns about talent retention and competitive pressure in Morgan Stanley’s Canadian investment-banking operations. Scotiabank hires Morgan Stanley’s top Canada banker

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MS has been the subject of several research reports. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $230.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Morgan Stanley from $211.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $224.75.

About Morgan Stanley

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.