Hohimer Wealth Management LLC Takes Position in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)

Hohimer Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 33,910 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $3,956,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the first quarter worth $27,000. Garde Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the first quarter worth $30,000. Curio Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 104.7% during the fourth quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 264 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.19% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MS shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $121.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 10th. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and set a $130.00 price objective (up previously from $125.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Morgan Stanley from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. JMP Securities reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Morgan Stanley from $125.00 to $122.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 14th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $136.69.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Robert H. Herz sold 800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.32, for a total value of $95,456.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 96,760 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,545,403.20. The trade was a 0.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 40,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total value of $4,800,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 335,765 shares in the company, valued at approximately $40,291,800. This trade represents a 10.64% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of MS traded up $1.25 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $141.04. 7,695,590 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,619,105. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $133.86 and a 200-day moving average price of $127.11. The company has a market cap of $226.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.30. Morgan Stanley has a 1-year low of $90.94 and a 1-year high of $145.16. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.11.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $16.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.15 billion. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 15.33% and a net margin of 13.06%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.82 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Morgan Stanley 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.