BlueCrest Capital Management Ltd Invests $2.30 Million in Morgan Stanley $MS

Key Points

• BlueCrest Capital Management initiated a $2.30 million Morgan Stanley position by purchasing 11,023 shares in the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 84.19% of the company.
• Morgan Stanley reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $3.46 beating estimates of $2.89 and revenue of $21.35 billion rising 27.1% year over year. The board also authorized a $20 billion share-repurchase program.
• The company increased its quarterly dividend from $1.00 to $1.15 per share, equivalent to a 2.1% annualized yield; analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $224.75.

BlueCrest Capital Management Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 11,023 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,304,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Marquette Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Morgan Stanley by 143.4% in the 2nd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 129 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Atlatl Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 55.7% during the second quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 137 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Finally, Purpose Unlimited Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Morgan Stanley Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:MS opened at $215.45 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $339.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.65, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $216.04 and a 200-day moving average price of $197.75. Morgan Stanley has a 52-week low of $151.42 and a 52-week high of $232.25.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.57. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 15.65% and a return on equity of 19.31%. The company had revenue of $21.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.67 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.13 EPS. Morgan Stanley's revenue was up 27.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 12.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, June 24th that authorizes the company to buyback $20.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to repurchase up to 5.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st were paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 31st. This is a positive change from Morgan Stanley's previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.19%.

Key Headlines Impacting Morgan Stanley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer highlighted Morgan Stanley as a “quiet execution winner” over newer fintech and blockchain companies, providing favorable retail-investor visibility. Jim Cramer backs Morgan Stanley
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s most recent reported quarter showed strong operating momentum: earnings per share of $3.46 beat estimates of $2.89, while revenue of $21.35 billion exceeded the $19.67 billion consensus and increased 27.1% year over year.
• Neutral Sentiment: An opinion article argued that Morgan Stanley may be expensive after its rally, potentially encouraging profit-taking even though the business has delivered strong results. Morgan Stanley valuation commentary
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley strategist Mike Wilson warned that oil prices above $100 per barrel and elevated interest rates are among the main near-term risks for stocks. Higher rates can pressure financial-sector valuations and raise concerns about economic growth and capital-markets activity. Morgan Stanley warns on oil and rates
• Negative Sentiment: Merrill Lynch recruited an advisory team from Morgan Stanley as part of a broader $1.8 billion advisor move. While unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings, the departure adds a modest competitive and wealth-management retention overhang. Merrill recruits Morgan Stanley advisors

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and set a $243.00 target price on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Monday, July 20th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Morgan Stanley from $187.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $224.75.

Morgan Stanley Company Profile

Morgan Stanley NYSE: MS is a global financial services company that provides investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. The company serves corporations, governments, financial institutions, individuals and institutional investors through a range of advisory, capital-raising, trading and investment-related activities.

Morgan Stanley's Institutional Securities business offers investment banking services, including mergers and acquisitions advice, underwriting and capital markets services.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.