Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Shares Sold by Bison Wealth LLC

Bison Wealth LLC reduced its holdings in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 31.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,692 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 4,382 shares during the quarter. Bison Wealth LLC’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $1,219,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MS. Voleon Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter valued at $7,902,000. Utah Retirement Systems grew its position in Morgan Stanley by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 192,568 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $24,210,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the period. Lido Advisors LLC increased its stake in Morgan Stanley by 9.0% during the fourth quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 75,456 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $9,486,000 after acquiring an additional 6,207 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 20.0% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 13,403,197 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,685,050,000 after purchasing an additional 2,233,589 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at about $69,000. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Morgan Stanley Stock Up 0.3 %

NYSE:MS opened at $116.19 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $116.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $124.71. Morgan Stanley has a one year low of $90.55 and a one year high of $142.03. The company has a market capitalization of $187.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.14, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 11th. The financial services provider reported $2.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.39. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 14.39% and a net margin of 12.48%. The business had revenue of $17.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.02 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.925 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $3.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.18%. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on MS shares. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 17th. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Barclays boosted their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $155.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, JMP Securities reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $130.50.

Insider Transactions at Morgan Stanley

In related news, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 10,068 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.65, for a total value of $1,124,092.20. Following the sale, the insider now owns 199,274 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,248,942.10. This trade represents a 4.81 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.19% 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.