Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Stock Holdings Increased by Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd.

Key Points

• Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. increased its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 160.7%, acquiring an additional 178,906 shares, bringing its total to 290,240 shares worth approximately $33.86 million.
• In response to its financial performance, Morgan Stanley declared a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per share, marking an increase from its previous dividend of $0.93, along with a $20 billion share buyback program.
• Analysts' ratings for Morgan Stanley are mixed, with a consensus rating of "Hold" and target prices ranging from $122.00 to $160.00, indicating varying expectations about the stock's performance.

Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 160.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 290,240 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 178,906 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd.'s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $33,862,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MS. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,782 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,607,000 after acquiring an additional 1,185 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 54.7% in the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,109 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $139,000 after buying an additional 392 shares during the last quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 10.9% in the 4th quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 81,944 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $10,302,000 after buying an additional 8,072 shares during the last quarter. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter worth about $1,640,000. Finally, Entruity Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter worth about $226,000. 84.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Morgan Stanley Trading Up 0.1%

MS stock traded up $0.17 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $147.93. The stock had a trading volume of 2,003,854 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,714,322. The firm has a market cap of $236.14 billion, a PE ratio of 16.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.32. The company's 50-day moving average price is $139.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $128.71. Morgan Stanley has a 12-month low of $94.09 and a 12-month high of $149.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.30, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.78.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $2.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $16.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.15 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 13.06% and a return on equity of 15.20%. Morgan Stanley's revenue for the quarter was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.82 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. This is a positive change from Morgan Stanley's previous quarterly dividend of $0.93. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 31st. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. Morgan Stanley's payout ratio is presently 45.30%.

Morgan Stanley declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, July 1st that permits the company to buyback $20.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to purchase up to 8.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 24th. 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. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $127.00 to $160.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $121.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 10th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $130.00 target price (up previously from $125.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $138.25.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 12,000 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.12, for a total transaction of $1,693,440.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 186,420 shares of the company's stock, valued at $26,307,590.40. The trade was a 6.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Charles A. Smith sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.30, for a total transaction of $2,806,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 119,239 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,729,231.70. The trade was a 14.36% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 148,149 shares of company stock worth $20,841,628 over the last three months. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.