Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC Buys 3,416 Shares of Morgan Stanley $MS

Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC increased its holdings in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 9.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 39,848 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,416 shares during the period. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $8,330,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. purchased a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 1,855.6% during the 4th quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 176 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on MS shares. Oppenheimer lowered shares of Morgan Stanley from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Morgan Stanley from $211.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $187.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Morgan Stanley from $225.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $224.75.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

NYSE MS opened at $218.68 on Thursday. Morgan Stanley has a 1-year low of $140.51 and a 1-year high of $232.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $344.92 billion, a PE ratio of 17.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.22. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $216.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $191.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.52, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.77.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.46 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.57. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 15.65% and a return on equity of 19.51%. The firm had revenue of $21.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.13 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 27.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 12.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This is an increase from Morgan Stanley’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.19%.

Morgan Stanley announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Wednesday, June 24th that authorizes the company to buyback $20.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to purchase up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Morgan Stanley News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s latest quarterly results remain a key support: earnings per share of $3.46 and revenue of $21.35 billion exceeded consensus estimates, with revenue rising 27.1% year over year. The results highlighted strong operating momentum across the financial-services business.
• Positive Sentiment: The firm’s launch of a Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust ETF gives investors new access to cryptocurrency exposure and expands the company’s asset-management product lineup. The offering could provide additional fee revenue and strengthen Morgan Stanley’s position in digital assets. Better Buy: iShares Bitcoin ETF vs. Morgan Stanley Bitcoin ETF
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street’s outlook is cautiously optimistic. Analysts generally see further upside potential, but recent commentary suggests the stock may be fairly valued or slightly overvalued after its substantial multiyear gains and the new crypto ETF launch. Morgan Stanley Stock May Be Slightly Overvalued Following New Crypto ETF Launch
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent institutional activity shows Morgan Stanley adding to several growth and infrastructure-related holdings while reducing positions in others. These portfolio changes are not a direct company catalyst but reflect ongoing active investment management and may contribute modestly to market attention.

Morgan Stanley 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.