Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc increased its position in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS – Free Report) by 89.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,591 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,068 shares during the period. Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $1,632,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley during the 1st quarter valued at about $8,854,000. Diversify Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 201.0% during the first quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 17,559 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,890,000 after buying an additional 11,726 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Morgan Stanley by 10.9% during the second quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 294,047 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $61,468,000 after acquiring an additional 28,877 shares during the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Morgan Stanley by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 279,622 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $58,452,000 after acquiring an additional 30,010 shares during the period. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System raised its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 13.4% in the 1st quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 2,422,284 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $398,635,000 after acquiring an additional 287,056 shares during the last quarter. 84.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Key Morgan Stanley News
Here are the key news stories impacting Morgan Stanley this week:
- Positive Sentiment: The recent selloff has moderated, while options-market positioning points to a potential move toward approximately $205. Stronger-than-expected results or constructive guidance could support a rebound. Morgan Stanley stock selloff cools ahead of earnings, options market targets $205
- Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley, BlackRock and State Street are reporting together, making results in wealth management, asset management and custody important indicators for the broader financial-services sector. Investors are likely to focus particularly on the key metric that demonstrates whether higher rates are weighing on activity and profitability. Wealth, Assets and Custody: What to Watch When Morgan Stanley, BlackRock and State Street Report
- Negative Sentiment: Analysts are becoming marginally less optimistic: Erste Group Bank reduced its FY2026 EPS forecast to $12.79 from $12.83 and maintained a Hold rating. The revised estimate remains close to the broader consensus of $12.66, but signals limited near-term earnings momentum. Morgan Stanley analyst estimate update
- Negative Sentiment: Rising Treasury yields, a stronger dollar and elevated energy prices are tightening financial conditions. Investors are concerned that this environment could restrain dealmaking and lending growth while increasing funding costs, offsetting the benefit of higher interest income. The bond market is doing the Fed’s job, says Morgan Stanley strategist
Morgan Stanley Stock Performance
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.57. The firm had revenue of $21.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.67 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 15.65% and a return on equity of 19.31%. Morgan Stanley’s quarterly revenue was up 27.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.13 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 12.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 31st were given a dividend of $1.15 per share. This is a boost from Morgan Stanley’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley’s payout ratio is presently 37.19%.
Morgan Stanley announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, June 24th that authorizes the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to buy up to 5.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Share repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $187.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Morgan Stanley from $240.00 to $223.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $211.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on Morgan Stanley from $260.00 to $236.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Morgan Stanley has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $219.43.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley Company Profile
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm serving corporations, governments, financial institutions, individuals and other investors. The company provides investment banking and advisory services, including mergers and acquisitions advice, equity and debt underwriting, securities sales and trading, and corporate lending.
Through its Wealth Management business, Morgan Stanley offers financial planning, brokerage, investment advisory and banking services to individual investors, businesses and institutions.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than Morgan Stanley
- Surgical Precision, Sustainable Returns: Johnson & Johnson Secures its Cash Flow Runway
- Tesla’s Robotaxi Lands in Paris—But Europe’s Real Fight Is Over Cheap EVs
- IonQ Fell 9% on a $1.3 Billion Deal—Is Wall Street Missing Something?
- JPMorgan Earnings Miss Estimates But Reveal Broad-Based Strength
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Morgan Stanley Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Morgan Stanley and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
