Fullerton Fund Management Co Ltd. Boosts Stock Position in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)

Fullerton Fund Management Co Ltd. raised its holdings in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 5,707.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 442,733 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 435,110 shares during the quarter. Morgan Stanley comprises 1.9% of Fullerton Fund Management Co Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Fullerton Fund Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $55,660,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MS. IAG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Curio Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Ancora Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 104.7% in the 4th quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 264 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth $35,000. 84.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MS opened at $121.66 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $196.22 billion, a PE ratio of 15.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.30. Morgan Stanley has a 1 year low of $90.94 and a 1 year high of $142.03. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $114.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $124.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.14, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last issued its earnings results on Friday, April 11th. The financial services provider reported $2.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.39. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 14.39% and a net margin of 12.48%. The company had revenue of $17.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.02 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 17.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate 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 will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be paid a $0.925 dividend. This represents a $3.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley’s payout ratio is currently 43.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $138.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Erste Group Bank downgraded Morgan Stanley from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Morgan Stanley from $125.00 to $122.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $132.46.

Insider Buying and Selling at Morgan Stanley

In related news, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 10,068 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.65, for a total transaction of $1,124,092.20. Following the sale, the insider now owns 199,274 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,248,942.10. This represents a 4.81 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Robert H. Herz sold 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.32, for a total transaction of $95,456.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 96,760 shares in the company, valued at $11,545,403.20. This represents a 0.82 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 50,868 shares of company stock valued at $6,019,548 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Morgan Stanley Company Profile

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.