Aigen Investment Management LP Makes New Investment in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)

Key Points

• Aigen Investment Management LP has acquired 24,479 shares of Morgan Stanley, totaling approximately $2.86 million, during the 1st quarter.
• Morgan Stanley recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per share, up from the previous $0.93, reflecting a positive return for its investors.
• The company has initiated a $20 billion share buyback program, which typically indicates that the board believes the shares are undervalued.

Aigen Investment Management LP purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 24,479 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,856,000.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MS. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Garde Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in Morgan Stanley by 50.0% in the 1st quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. now owns 264 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Morgan Stanley by 104.7% in the 4th quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 264 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.19% of the company's stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MS opened at $143.23 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $228.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.22, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.32. Morgan Stanley has a 12 month low of $93.54 and a 12 month high of $145.48. The firm's 50-day moving average is $138.24 and its 200 day moving average is $128.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.30.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $16.79 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.15 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 13.06% and a return on equity of 15.20%. The firm's revenue was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.82 EPS. Research analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 31st will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 31st. This is a positive change from Morgan Stanley's previous quarterly dividend of $0.93. Morgan Stanley's payout ratio is currently 45.30%.

Morgan Stanley declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Tuesday, July 1st that authorizes the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to repurchase up to 8.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $125.00 to $122.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and set a $130.00 target price (up from $125.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. Finally, JMP Securities restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $138.25.

Insider Activity at Morgan Stanley

In related news, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 43,566 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.97, for a total transaction of $6,141,499.02. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 294,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,480,422.50. This represents a 12.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Michael A. Pizzi sold 18,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.62, for a total transaction of $2,531,160.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 136,407 shares in the company, valued at $19,181,552.34. The trade was a 11.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 148,149 shares of company stock worth $20,841,628 in the last three months. 0.19% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Morgan Stanley Company Profile

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.

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