Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Sets New 1-Year High – Here’s Why

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $171.77 and last traded at $170.9160, with a volume of 1187600 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $166.50.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MS has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $145.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $176.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $165.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $168.23.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average is $158.75 and its 200 day moving average is $144.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $270.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.49, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.30, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.78.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.73. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 13.85% and a return on equity of 16.55%. The company had revenue of $18.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.42 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.88 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 31st will be paid a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 31st. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Morgan Stanley’s payout ratio is 41.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Morgan Stanley

In other news, CEO Edward Pick sold 100,000 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.34, for a total transaction 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 $94,493,199.24. The trade was a 14.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.19% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Morgan Stanley

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. lifted its position in Morgan Stanley by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. now owns 3,120 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $496,000 after buying an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC raised its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 2.5% during the third quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 2,616 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $416,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Morgan Stanley by 0.5% during the third quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 13,222 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,102,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Morgan Stanley by 1.0% in the third quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. now owns 6,278 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,025,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hanson & Doremus Investment Management increased its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 8.1% during the 3rd quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 877 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $139,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.19% of the company’s stock.

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.