Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. Purchases Shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-California) recently bought shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS). In a filing disclosed on December 15th, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Morgan Stanley stock on November 18th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “150 MAIN STREET TRUST > BANK OF AMERICA” account.

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Spotify Technology (NYSE:SPOT) on 11/26/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) on 11/26/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) on 11/26/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of TKO Group (NYSE:TKO) on 11/26/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of RBC Bearings (NYSE:RBC) on 11/24/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF) on 11/24/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Logan Energy (CVE:LGN) on 11/24/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Primoris Services (NASDAQ:PRIM) on 11/24/2025.
• Purchased $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of LandBridge (NYSE:LB) on 11/21/2025.
• Purchased $50,001 – $100,000 in shares of LandBridge (NYSE:LB) on 11/20/2025.

Morgan Stanley Trading Up 2.3%

Shares of NYSE MS traded up $4.03 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $176.99. 10,626,934 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,628,092. Morgan Stanley has a 12 month low of $94.33 and a 12 month high of $181.98. The company has a market capitalization of $281.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $166.72 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $152.73.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.80 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.73. The business had revenue of $17.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.42 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 13.85% and a return on equity of 16.40%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.88 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 31st were given a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.03%.

Key Headlines Impacting Morgan Stanley

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

• Positive Sentiment: MS is widely reported as a front‑runner to lead the SpaceX IPO — a lead role would bring large underwriting fees and prestige that typically lift investment‑banking revenue expectations. Morgan Stanley seen as front-runner for SpaceX IPO, sources say
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support has picked up: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods and others keep favorable ratings and recent coverage includes a higher price target, reinforcing buyside momentum. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Raises Morgan Stanley Price Target to $202.00
• Positive Sentiment: Ongoing analyst activity from large brokerages (including Morgan Stanley’s own research upgrades on major tech names) highlights the firm’s influential research footprint — a plus for institutional distribution and trading flows. Morgan Stanley Upgrades Accenture (ACN) to Overweight, Raises Target to $320
• Neutral Sentiment: MS is approaching its Q4 reporting window; previews expect single‑digit EPS growth — that lowers the bar but keeps upside tied to trading and underwriting beats. Morgan Stanley Earnings Preview: What to Expect
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader industry commentary (Zacks / sector pieces) flags investment banks as beneficiaries of better trading and underwriting markets — supportive context but not unique to MS. 3 Stocks to Buy From the Prospering Investment Banking Industry
• Negative Sentiment: Not all signals are uniformly bullish — there was a near‑term pullback/weakness noted in commentary yesterday, underscoring that momentum could reverse if trading revenue or deal news disappoints. Morgan Stanley (MS) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Barclays raised their price target on Morgan Stanley from $156.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Zacks Research raised Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $145.00 to $171.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $165.00 to $177.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Finally, Dbs Bank raised shares of Morgan Stanley to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $174.77.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Edward Pick sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.34, for a total value of $16,434,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 574,986 shares in the company, valued at approximately $94,493,199.24. The trade was a 14.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Morgan Stanley

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MS. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. boosted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 8.2% in the second quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 6,252 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $881,000 after acquiring an additional 473 shares during the period. Advisors Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Morgan Stanley by 25.9% in the 2nd quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 9,996 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,408,000 after purchasing an additional 2,058 shares in the last quarter. Amundi boosted its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 12.4% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 5,843,655 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $815,177,000 after purchasing an additional 643,591 shares during the period. FORA Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 1st quarter worth approximately $5,629,000. Finally, Three Bridge Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the second quarter worth approximately $257,000. 84.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Representative Cisneros

Gil Cisneros (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 31st Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Cisneros (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 31st Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Gil Cisneros served in the U.S. Navy as a supply officer from 1994 to 2004. Cisneros earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from George Washington University in 1994, a master’s in business administration from Regis University in 2002, and a master’s degree in urban education policy from Brown University in 2015. His career experience includes working as a logistics manager for Frito-Lay. In 2010, Cisneros won the lottery and became involved in activism and philanthropy, founding a scholarship program for local high school students. In 2021, President Joe Biden (D) appointed Cisneros as under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

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.