Lazard Asset Management LLC Has $39.11 Million Stake in Morgan Stanley $MS

Key Points

• Lazard Asset Management increased its Morgan Stanley stake by 48.5% in the first quarter, purchasing 77,579 additional shares for a total holding valued at $39.11 million. Institutional investors collectively own 84.19% of the company.
• Morgan Stanley reported strong quarterly results, with earnings of $3.46 per share and revenue of $21.35 billion, exceeding estimates and representing 27.1% year-over-year revenue growth. The board also authorized a $20 billion share-repurchase program.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $224.50. Morgan Stanley also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.15 per share, although shares recently traded down 1.3% and remain near their 52-week high.

Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 48.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 237,672 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 77,579 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC's holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $39,114,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MS. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new position in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 1,855.6% during the fourth quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 176 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.19% of the company's stock.

Key Morgan Stanley News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley launched the MSSE Ethereum Trust and MSOL Solana Trust on NYSE Arca. Both products charge a 0.14% expense ratio and intend to stake assets, passing staking rewards to investors. The products expand Morgan Stanley’s digital-asset platform beyond its bitcoin offering and could generate new fee revenue. Morgan Stanley expands crypto lineup with Ether, Solana ETPs
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlighted Morgan Stanley’s strong position in the investment-banking and trading boom. The firm advised on 15 construction-related transactions worth $81.3 billion in the first half of 2026, reinforcing its competitive position in mergers and acquisitions. Morgan Stanley leads construction M&A advisory in H1 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley strategists remain constructive on artificial-intelligence investment, arguing that major technology companies’ substantial AI spending could ultimately produce strong returns and improve profit margins. This supports continued advisory, financing and trading opportunities for MS, although the view primarily benefits its corporate clients. Morgan Stanley says AI investment could generate strong returns
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley is among the anchor investors in Manipal Health Enterprises’ planned Indian IPO, which raised Rs 4,167 crore from anchor investors. The deal may provide advisory, underwriting or distribution revenue, but its near-term financial impact on MS was not disclosed. Manipal Health IPO anchor investment
• Negative Sentiment: The positive company-specific news has not offset likely profit-taking and broader risk reduction across financial and technology stocks. Morgan Stanley’s shares remain near their 52-week high, leaving valuation and market-sentiment concerns as potential reasons investors are selling despite the firm’s strong prior earnings and expanding fee opportunities.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Freedom Capital upgraded Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Wolfe Research dropped their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $221.00 to $197.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Dbs Bank upped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $185.00 to $220.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $224.50.

Morgan Stanley Stock Down 1.3%

NYSE:MS opened at $211.82 on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley has a 12-month low of $136.17 and a 12-month high of $232.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $334.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.23. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $214.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $190.37.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.46 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.57. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 19.51% and a net margin of 15.65%.The business had revenue of $21.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 27.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 12.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Morgan Stanley declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, June 24th that permits the company to buyback $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to reacquire up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be given a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This is an increase from Morgan Stanley's previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio is presently 32.34%.

About Morgan Stanley

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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