Hoey Investments Inc. Has $8.14 Million Stock Position in Morgan Stanley $MS

Hoey Investments Inc. grew its position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 12.6% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 45,852 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,141 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley makes up 1.1% of Hoey Investments Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. Hoey Investments Inc.’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $8,140,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 65.2% in the 3rd quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. now owns 185 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.19% of the company’s stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Down 1.3%

MS stock opened at $188.66 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $298.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.09, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.19. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $169.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $171.58. Morgan Stanley has a fifty-two week low of $111.24 and a fifty-two week high of $194.59.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.02 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $20.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.23 billion. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 17.89% and a net margin of 14.65%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.60 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 11.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 30th will be given a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 30th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 32,968 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.61, for a total value of $6,020,286.48. Following the transaction, the insider owned 357,342 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,254,222.62. This trade represents a 8.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 51,668 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.59, for a total value of $9,744,068.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 282,142 shares in the company, valued at $53,209,159.78. The trade was a 15.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 110,444 shares of company stock worth $20,665,049. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on MS shares. BNP Paribas Exane increased their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $170.00 to $195.00 in a report on Friday, January 16th. Barclays increased their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $219.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Citizens Jmp reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Thursday, April 16th. HSBC increased their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $153.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Argus increased their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $210.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $201.33.

Key Headlines Impacting Morgan Stanley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reported solid Q1 results and has been active on capital (dividend, buybacks and funding moves) — fundamentals and capital returns support valuation. Morgan Stanley’s Strong Q1 Earnings And Capital Moves Could Be A Game Changer For Morgan Stanley (MS)
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage is constructive: BMO raised its MS price target (supportive to sentiment/price targets from the sell side). BMO Capital Markets Increases Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Price Target to $220.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and research pieces highlight Morgan Stanley’s role as an influential analyst and wealth manager (e.g., research on gaming/AI and sustainable investing) — these shape longer-term thematic flows but aren’t an immediate price catalyst. Gaming industry could unlock $22 billion in profits on AI-driven cost cuts, says Morgan Stanley
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s own macro take (downgrading near-term GDP outlook / warning on consumer dynamics) is being cited by media — that soft macro view can dampen investor appetite for bank cyclicality and reduce the “earnings multiple” investors are willing to pay. Morgan Stanley drops stunning take on GDP outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling was reported (executive sale disclosure), which can be interpreted negatively by some traders even if sales are routine. Combined with lower intraday volume vs. average, this can amplify moves down. Eric Grossman Sells 11,118 Shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) 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.