Morgan Stanley $MS Shares Purchased by Syon Capital LLC

Syon Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 17.9% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 21,460 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,255 shares during the period. Syon Capital LLC’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $3,411,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Advisors Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 11,520 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,831,000 after buying an additional 1,524 shares during the last quarter. First National Bank of Omaha acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the third quarter worth approximately $5,209,000. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 62,047 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $9,863,000 after buying an additional 3,392 shares during the last quarter. 626 Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the third quarter worth about $223,000. Finally, May Hill Capital LLC raised its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 59.1% in the third quarter. May Hill Capital LLC now owns 3,391 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $539,000 after buying an additional 1,259 shares during the period. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Morgan Stanley Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of MS stock opened at $171.50 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $180.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $165.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $272.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27. Morgan Stanley has a fifty-two week low of $94.33 and a fifty-two week high of $192.68.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.28 by $0.40. The business 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 16.92%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the company. HSBC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $177.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Dbs Bank upgraded Morgan Stanley to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $207.00 price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $185.93.

Trending Headlines about Morgan Stanley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Morgan Stanley to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), signalling near‑term optimism from a well‑known independent screener and likely boosting buy‑side interest. Morgan Stanley (MS) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley research flagged a roughly $45B “hidden” cybersecurity opportunity — a high‑profile thematic call that showcases the firm’s research monetization and helps position MS as a go‑to advisor on secular tech spending trends. Morgan Stanley flags $45B hidden cybersecurity opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: MarketWatch highlighted Morgan Stanley strategy views (the “HALO” trade on hard assets), increasing the firm’s public profile and supporting investor perception of its macro/research franchise. That visibility can lift trading flows and fee outlooks. Why the ‘HALO’ trade boosting hard assets is no fluke, according to Morgan Stanley
• Neutral Sentiment: MS continues to be active in analyst coverage (e.g., adjusting price targets and opinions on names like Twilio and Alibaba). That keeps the firm in headlines and generates transaction/commission activity, but those headlines are stock‑specific rather than direct drivers of MS fundamentals. Morgan Stanley Reduces PT on Twilio Inc. (TWLO) Stock Morgan Stanley and Jefferies Stay Positive on Alibaba (BABA)
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors also reference Morgan Stanley’s January results (beat on EPS and revenue growth) as a baseline for current sentiment — a supportive but already‑priced factor. (See company filings/earnings commentary for details.)
• Negative Sentiment: Critical coverage on parts of MS’s business (e.g., commentary urging patience on direct‑lending initiatives) could dampen enthusiasm for certain fee streams or credit exposures and introduce near‑term headline risk. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending – Be Patient

Insider Activity

In other Morgan Stanley news, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 30,330 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.62, for a total value of $5,569,194.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 280,481 shares in the company, valued at $51,501,921.22. This trade represents a 9.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Charles A. Smith sold 8,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.08, for a total transaction of $1,547,680.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 119,128 shares in the company, valued at $21,690,826.24. This represents a 6.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 129,191 shares of company stock worth $23,736,506. 0.19% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.