Intech Investment Management LLC Buys 11,588 Shares of Morgan Stanley $MS

Key Points

• Intech Investment Management increased its Morgan Stanley stake by 19.3% in the fourth quarter, buying 11,588 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 71,675 shares worth about $12.7 million.
• Morgan Stanley reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $3.43 versus $3.02 expected and revenue of $20.58 billion, up 16% year over year.
• The company also paid a $1.00 quarterly dividend and currently has a consensus analyst rating of Moderate Buy with a target price of $205.95, while the stock recently traded near its 52-week high.

Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 19.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 71,675 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 11,588 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC's holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $12,724,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MS. Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. increased its position in Morgan Stanley by 65.2% during the 3rd quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. now owns 185 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. 84.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Morgan Stanley

In other news, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 14,690 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.24, for a total value of $2,779,935.60. Following the sale, the insider owned 365,802 shares in the company, valued at $69,224,370.48. This represents a 3.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 11,118 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 20th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $32,313,622.25. The trade was a 6.16% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 77,476 shares of company stock worth $14,644,762 over the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Morgan Stanley Stock Up 1.9%

Morgan Stanley stock opened at $207.74 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.52, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.77. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $183.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $177.39. The company has a market cap of $327.67 billion, a PE ratio of 18.82, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.22. Morgan Stanley has a fifty-two week low of $126.35 and a fifty-two week high of $208.08.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.02 by $0.41. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 17.70% and a net margin of 14.65%.The business had revenue of $20.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.23 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.60 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 16.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 11.85 EPS for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 30th were paid a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 30th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.23%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Morgan Stanley from $190.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. BNP Paribas Exane upped their target price on Morgan Stanley from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Wolfe Research dropped their price target on Morgan Stanley from $221.00 to $197.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Dbs Bank boosted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $185.00 to $220.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $171.00 to $183.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Morgan Stanley presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $205.95.

Key Stories Impacting Morgan Stanley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley was highlighted in coverage of U.S. banks near record highs, with the firm benefiting from accelerating earnings and sales growth across the sector. Morgan Stanley Joins Elite List As Stock Hits Highs; Goldman Sachs Rides Massive Deals Wave
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst and valuation commentary has reinforced the bull case, with investors focusing on Morgan Stanley’s strong earnings revisions and upgraded outlook after a solid quarterly beat. A Look At Morgan Stanley (MS) Valuation As Analyst Upgrades And Earnings Revisions Lift Confidence
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded Morgan Stanley from “strong-buy” to “hold,” which may cap some upside, but the market appears to be looking past that call for now. Zacks.com

Morgan Stanley Company 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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