Rep. Julie Johnson Sells Off Shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)

Representative Julie Johnson (D-Texas) recently sold shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS). In a filing disclosed on December 11th, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Morgan Stanley stock on November 13th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “CHASE BROKERAGE ACCOUNT (3935)” account.

Representative Julie Johnson also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW) on 11/13/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) on 11/13/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) on 11/13/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) on 11/13/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF) on 11/13/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) on 11/13/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Seagate Technology (NASDAQ:STX) on 11/13/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) on 11/13/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN) on 11/13/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS) on 11/13/2025.

Morgan Stanley Stock Up 2.0%

NYSE:MS traded up $3.51 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $176.47. The company had a trading volume of 2,296,282 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,265,785. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27. Morgan Stanley has a 1 year low of $94.33 and a 1 year high of $181.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $280.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.08, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.22. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $166.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $152.39.

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

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 31st were paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. Morgan Stanley’s payout ratio is currently 41.03%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MS has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $175.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Zacks Research raised shares of Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Dbs Bank raised shares of Morgan Stanley to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $145.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $156.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $174.77.

Trending Headlines about Morgan Stanley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrade and higher price target: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target on Morgan Stanley to $202 and keeps an Outperform stance — a vote of confidence that can support investor sentiment and push the stock higher if other brokers follow. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Raises MS Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Ongoing analyst activity from Morgan Stanley (research business visibility): Morgan Stanley research continues to publish high-profile upgrades on large tech names (e.g., Accenture upgrade), highlighting the firm’s strength in equity research — a business that supports commissions, client relationships and reputation. MS Upgrades Accenture
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly outlook is modest: previews and analyst notes expect single-digit earnings growth for Morgan Stanley next quarter — not a catalyst for a large re-rating but important for near-term earnings expectations. Investors will focus on the upcoming quarterly report and commentary. Earnings Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley market/product positioning stories (top picks and research themes): Firm published lists of top chip and tech picks for 2026 — positive for its franchise narrative but indirect for MS equity performance; these items mainly affect perception of research quality and deal flow potential. MS Top Chip Picks
• Negative Sentiment: Short-term selling pressure / share weakness: Market reports note MS stock slid today while broader markets rose, suggesting profit-taking or rotation away from banks; that intra-day weakness can amplify volatility especially ahead of earnings. Zacks: MS Stock Slides

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Morgan Stanley news, CEO Edward Pick sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.34, for a total transaction of $16,434,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 574,986 shares in the company, valued at $94,493,199.24. The trade was a 14.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Morgan Stanley

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,234,883,000. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the second quarter worth approximately $343,236,000. Schroder Investment Management Group grew its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 23.4% in the 2nd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 9,357,200 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,318,055,000 after buying an additional 1,776,544 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in Morgan Stanley by 319.7% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,092,341 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $294,727,000 after acquiring an additional 1,593,774 shares during the period. Finally, Axiom Investors LLC DE raised its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 99.9% in the first quarter. Axiom Investors LLC DE now owns 3,111,979 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $363,075,000 after buying an additional 1,555,015 shares in the last quarter. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Representative Johnson

Julie Johnson (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Texas’ 32nd Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2025. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Johnson (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas’ 32nd Congressional District. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Julie Johnson earned a B.A. in history and government from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987 and a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1991. Johnson’s career experience includes working as an attorney.

About Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. It operates through Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments.