First National Advisers LLC Sells 6,315 Shares of Morgan Stanley $MS

First National Advisers LLC decreased its position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 19.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,224 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 6,315 shares during the period. First National Advisers LLC’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $4,656,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MS. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. grew its holdings 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors own 84.19% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 14,690 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.24, for a total value of $2,779,935.60. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 365,802 shares in the company, valued at approximately $69,224,370.48. This trade represents a 3.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 11,118 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.75, for a total transaction of $2,120,758.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 169,403 shares in the company, valued at $32,313,622.25. This represents a 6.16% 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 77,476 shares of company stock worth $14,644,762. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Daiwa Securities Group upped their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $175.00 to $198.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $171.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Dbs Bank upped their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $185.00 to $220.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $206.26.

Morgan Stanley Trading Down 1.1%

NYSE MS opened at $190.89 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.52, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a market capitalization of $301.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.22. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $173.41 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $174.08. Morgan Stanley has a one year low of $123.88 and a one year high of $194.83.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $20.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.23 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 14.65% and a return on equity of 17.70%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.60 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Morgan Stanley will post 11.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 30th will be issued a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.23%.

Morgan Stanley News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley was highlighted in multiple pieces as a supportive analyst name, with recent coverage noting a “moderate buy” consensus and a dividend-focused bull case for the stock. That can help reinforce investor confidence in MS as a quality financial name.
• Positive Sentiment: The firm is expanding into lower-fee crypto trading for retail investors, offering Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana at competitive prices. That move could be viewed as a growth initiative that broadens Morgan Stanley’s appeal to younger and more active clients. Will Lower Crypto Fees Help Morgan Stanley Win Retail Investors?
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s macro team said Tuesday’s CPI report could come in “spicier” than expected, keeping inflation and Federal Reserve expectations in focus. That’s more of a market-wide trading catalyst than a direct MS fundamental driver. Morgan Stanley Sees ‘Spicier’ CPI as Inflation Week Kicks Off
• Neutral Sentiment: Other recent Morgan Stanley commentary focused on oil-market risks from a possible Strait of Hormuz disruption, which may affect broader risk sentiment and rates/commodity expectations, but does not directly change MS’s operating outlook. Oil Market in ‘Race Against Time’ on Hormuz, Morgan Stanley Says

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.