Donaldson Capital Management LLC Sells 4,736 Shares of Morgan Stanley $MS

Donaldson Capital Management LLC decreased its position in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 1.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 462,510 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 4,736 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley accounts for approximately 2.6% of Donaldson Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Donaldson Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $82,109,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the second quarter worth $28,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. increased its stake in Morgan Stanley by 65.2% during the third quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. now owns 185 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC raised its position in Morgan Stanley by 91.9% in the third 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 acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.19% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas Exane increased their price target on Morgan Stanley from $170.00 to $195.00 in a report on Friday, January 16th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $211.00 target price on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $177.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $173.00 to $179.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. 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. According to MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $187.14.

Morgan Stanley News Summary

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

Insider Transactions at Morgan Stanley

In related news, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 30,330 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.62, for a total transaction of $5,569,194.60. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 280,481 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $51,501,921.22. This represents a 9.76% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Michael A. Pizzi sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.55, for a total transaction of $3,691,000.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 127,872 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,598,777.60. This trade represents a 13.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 129,191 shares of company stock valued at $23,736,506. 0.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Morgan Stanley Price Performance

MS stock opened at $158.37 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $171.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $169.15. Morgan Stanley has a 12-month low of $94.33 and a 12-month high of $192.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39. The company has a market capitalization of $251.48 billion, a PE ratio of 15.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.20.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.28 by $0.40. The company had revenue of $17.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.69 billion. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 16.78% and a net margin of 14.09%.Morgan Stanley’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.18%.

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.