Morgan Stanley $MS Stake Boosted by Versant Capital Management Inc

Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 69.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,058 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,893 shares during the quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $1,122,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Morgan Stanley by 645.8% in the second quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 179 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC lifted its position in Morgan Stanley by 91.9% in the 3rd quarter. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC now owns 213 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new position in Morgan Stanley in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, First PREMIER Bank increased its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 57.1% in the third quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 245 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.19% of the company’s stock.

More Morgan Stanley News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Earnings expectations are supportive — several previews say trading and investment‑banking strength should lift Q4 revenue and EPS, putting MS in the spotlight as banks report this week. Is MS Stock a Buy Ahead of Q4 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Crypto ETF filing: Morgan Stanley filed spot Bitcoin and Solana ETF paperwork, signaling a move into crypto ETFs that could expand fee revenue and institutional product offerings if approved. This is being read as a strategic revenue/asset‑gathering positive. Get Ready for Crypto Exposure as Morgan Stanley Joins the ETF Race
• Positive Sentiment: Private‑equity activity: MS’s PE arm took majority control of engineering firm Olsson — a sign the firm is expanding alternative/PE investments that can boost fee and carry income over time. Morgan Stanley’s PE unit takes majority stake in engineering firm Olsson
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary/flows: High‑profile endorsements of MS’s asset‑gathering performance (Jim Cramer and others) are reinforcing investor confidence in recurring fee businesses. Jim Cramer Says “The Asset Gathering in Morgan Stanley Has Been Extraordinary”
• Neutral Sentiment: Firm research activity — Morgan Stanley analysts continue coverage actions (e.g., Meesho initiation) and routine rating updates across sectors; useful for markets but not a direct MS‑earnings catalyst. Morgan Stanley starts Meesho coverage with equal-weight
• Negative Sentiment: Risk: analysts have recently revised expectations ahead of the print — if trading revenues or capital‑markets activity disappoint, MS shares can gap down given how much of the move depends on the quarterly beat and guidance. Coverage of bank results this week highlights the binary risk. US bank results live: Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to report earnings

Morgan Stanley Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MS opened at $180.77 on Thursday. Morgan Stanley has a twelve month low of $94.33 and a twelve month high of $188.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $174.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $159.09. The company has a market capitalization of $287.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.54, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.20.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.28 by $0.40. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 13.85% and a return on equity of 16.40%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.22 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MS has been the subject of several analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $184.00 to $202.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $157.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $211.00 price target on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Dbs Bank raised shares of Morgan Stanley to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $181.85.

Insider Activity at Morgan Stanley

In other news, CEO Edward Pick sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $94,493,199.24. This trade represents a 14.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

About Morgan Stanley

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.