Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS – Get Free Report) had its price objective lowered by equities research analysts at HSBC from $175.00 to $153.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a “hold” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. HSBC’s target price would suggest a potential downside of 7.86% from the company’s current price.
Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wolfe Research dropped their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $221.00 to $197.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group cut Morgan Stanley from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $207.00 price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research note on Friday, January 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Morgan Stanley has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $185.73.
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Morgan Stanley Trading Down 0.1%
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.28 by $0.40. The firm had revenue of $17.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.69 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 14.09% and a return on equity of 16.78%. Morgan Stanley’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Transactions at Morgan Stanley
In related news, insider Michael A. Pizzi sold 20,000 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.55, for a total transaction of $3,691,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 127,872 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,598,777.60. The trade was a 13.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 21,555 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.00, for a total transaction of $3,966,120.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 171,005 shares in the company, valued at $31,464,920. The trade was a 11.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 129,191 shares of company stock worth $23,736,506. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Purpose Unlimited Inc. purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new position in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Olistico Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the second quarter worth $28,000. Institutional investors own 84.19% of the company’s stock.
Key Morgan Stanley News
Here are the key news stories impacting Morgan Stanley this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley signaled a Bitcoin ETF is near launch after Amendment No. 4 filings — this could drive new AUM, product-fee income and intensify competition in institutional crypto products. Morgan Stanley Signals Bitcoin ETF Near Launch
- Positive Sentiment: E*TRADE (Morgan Stanley’s retail arm) is in talks to lead a SpaceX IPO retail allocation — winning large retail allocations could boost E*TRADE’s market share, transaction revenue and brand with everyday investors. E*TRADE in talks to lead SpaceX IPO retail sale
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst/earnings previews note Morgan Stanley’s strong surprise history and place the firm in a good position to beat upcoming quarterly estimates — supportive for sentiment into earnings. Will Morgan Stanley (MS) Beat Estimates Again?
- Neutral Sentiment: E*TRADE published its monthly sector-rotation data — useful for positioning and client flows but unlikely to move MS shares materially by itself. E*TRADE Releases Monthly Sector Rotation Study
- Neutral Sentiment: Valuation write-ups note recent soft short-term price action but strong multi-year returns — frames risk/reward for longer-term investors rather than an immediate catalyst. A Look At Morgan Stanley Valuation
- Negative Sentiment: Multiple sell‑side firms trimmed price targets (Wolfe, Rothschild/Redburn, HSBC among others), producing downward pressure on sentiment — some cuts leave implied upside limited or turn neutral/hold, which can weigh on the stock near term. Wolfe Research adjusts PT on Morgan Stanley Rothschild & Co Redburn adjusts PT on Morgan Stanley HSBC adjusts PT on Morgan Stanley
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.
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