AIA Group Ltd Has $20.64 Million Holdings in Morgan Stanley $MS

Key Points

• AIA Group Ltd increased its stake in Morgan Stanley by 77.7% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 125,392 shares valued at about $20.64 million.
• Morgan Stanley recently delivered a strong quarter, reporting $3.46 EPS versus the expected $2.89 and $21.35 billion in revenue, both ahead of estimates and up 27.1% year over year.
• The company also boosted shareholder returns, authorizing a $20 billion share buyback and raising its quarterly dividend to $1.15 per share, up from $1.00.

AIA Group Ltd raised its stake in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 77.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 125,392 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 54,816 shares during the period. AIA Group Ltd's holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $20,636,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Legacy Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 1st quarter valued at about $225,000. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd lifted its stake in Morgan Stanley by 5.6% during the first quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 77,374 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $12,254,000 after purchasing an additional 4,129 shares during the period. Spartan Wealth Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the first quarter valued at approximately $3,672,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 11.6% during the 1st quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,480 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $737,000 after buying an additional 466 shares during the period. Finally, GatePass Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 1st quarter worth approximately $211,000. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

Morgan Stanley stock opened at $215.27 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $211.69 and a 200 day simple moving average of $188.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $339.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.52. Morgan Stanley has a 12-month low of $136.17 and a 12-month high of $232.25.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.46 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 19.51%. The company's revenue was up 27.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.13 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 12.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, June 24th that allows the company to buyback $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to repurchase up to 5.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is an increase from Morgan Stanley's previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley's payout ratio is currently 37.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Morgan Stanley

In related news, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 11,118 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.75, for a total value of $2,120,758.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 169,403 shares of the company's stock, valued at $32,313,622.25. This trade represents a 6.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Freedom Capital upgraded Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday. Dbs Bank upped their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $185.00 to $220.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Wolfe Research dropped their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $221.00 to $197.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $220.80.

Key Headlines Impacting Morgan Stanley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reported blockbuster Q2 2026 results, with record net revenues of about $21.3 billion and earnings that beat expectations, reinforcing confidence in the company’s core businesses. Morgan Stanley (MS) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights: Record Revenues and Strategic Growth ...
• Positive Sentiment: The board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.15 per share, a 15% increase from the prior quarter, which signals confidence in earnings power and capital return capacity.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts turned more constructive after the earnings release, with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raising its price target to $250 and Erste Group lifting FY2027 EPS estimates, suggesting more upside may remain. Morgan Stanley had its price target raised by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $225.00 to $250.00
• Neutral Sentiment: New reports also pointed to Morgan Stanley’s E*TRADE crypto rollout and AI-related market activity, which could help broaden its platform appeal over time but are not likely the main short-term drivers of the stock move.
• Negative Sentiment: Some articles noted a downgrade-style view from Seeking Alpha and a JPMorgan target below the current share price, which may temper enthusiasm at the margin even after the strong earnings beat. Morgan Stanley Maintains Hold on Comstock Resources, Keeps Price Target Unchanged at $16 Amid Cash Outspend and Funding Concerns

Morgan Stanley Profile

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.

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