Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. Lowers Position in Morgan Stanley $MS

Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 7.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 277,964 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 21,604 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley accounts for about 2.0% of Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $49,347,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. increased its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 65.2% in the third quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. now owns 185 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC raised its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 91.9% during the 3rd quarter. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC now owns 213 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.19% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Morgan Stanley

In other Morgan Stanley news, insider Michael A. Pizzi sold 20,000 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.55, for a total value of $3,691,000.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 127,872 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,598,777.60. The trade was a 13.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 21,555 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.00, for a total value of $3,966,120.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 171,005 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,464,920. This represents a 11.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 129,191 shares of company stock worth $23,736,506 over the last three months. 0.19% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MS. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $207.00 price target on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Morgan Stanley from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Barclays upped their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $183.00 to $219.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $187.14.

Morgan Stanley News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: NYSE Arca issued a formal listing notice for Morgan Stanley’s spot Bitcoin ETF (ticker MSBT), a step that typically signals an imminent launch — this should create a new distribution channel and potential fee revenue/asset-gathering opportunity for MS. Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin ETF Gets Official Listing Announcement By NYSE: Analyst Says This ‘Typically’ Means Launch Imminent
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts note Morgan Stanley plans to price its Bitcoin ETF among the lowest-fee options in market — a potentially effective growth tactic to win flows vs. incumbents, which could translate into AUM growth and recurring fees if the fund scales. Morgan Stanley’s (MS) New Bitcoin ETF to Offer Lowest Fees in the Market
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group nudged up its FY2026 EPS forecast for Morgan Stanley — a small analyst revision that supports the firm’s longer-term earnings trajectory and can be read as reaffirmation by the Street (helpful for sentiment).
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are entering Morgan Stanley’s Q1 2026 earnings season; previews and expectations create two-way risk (beats can lift the stock; misses can amplify weakness). See the expectations summary for context. Morgan Stanley’s Q1 2026 Earnings: What to Expect
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader business notes and research from MS (e.g., comparisons with Schwab and sector-level analyst actions) underline that Morgan Stanley’s wealth-management franchise remains a differentiator, but such structural positives may be priced in. MS vs. SCHW: Who Holds the Edge in the Evolving Wealth Landscape?
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and market-positioning headwinds — a stronger dollar, haven flows tied to the Middle East conflict and broad tech/financial volatility — are pressuring stocks today and likely weigh on MS despite the ETF/newsflow. This kind of risk-off can drive short-term selling even when firm-specific items look constructive. Wall Street’s FX Roadmap Roiled by Dollar’s Best Run Since 2024

Morgan Stanley Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of MS stock opened at $158.37 on Monday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $171.09 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $169.15. Morgan Stanley has a 52 week low of $94.33 and a 52 week high of $192.68. The stock has a market cap of $251.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.51, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.28 by $0.40. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 16.78% and a net margin of 14.09%.The firm had revenue of $17.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.69 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.22 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.18%.

Morgan Stanley Company Profile

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.