Madison Asset Management LLC Cuts Stock Position in Morgan Stanley $MS

Key Points

• Madison Asset Management cut its Morgan Stanley stake by 57.7% in the first quarter, selling 58,318 shares and leaving it with 42,790 shares worth about $7.0 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains constructive, with Morgan Stanley carrying an average “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $224.50; several firms recently raised their targets, and one upgraded the stock to strong buy.
• Morgan Stanley reported better-than-expected Q2 results, boosted its quarterly dividend to $1.15 per share, and authorized a $20 billion share repurchase program, signaling confidence in its outlook.

Madison Asset Management LLC decreased its position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 57.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 42,790 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 58,318 shares during the period. Madison Asset Management LLC's holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $7,042,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MS. MWA Asset Management purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley in the first quarter worth $39,000. Convergence Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Convergence Investment Partners LLC now owns 12,742 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,097,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Florida Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 15.5% during the 1st quarter. Florida Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,504 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $412,000 after purchasing an additional 336 shares during the last quarter. AlTi Global Inc. boosted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. AlTi Global Inc. now owns 15,643 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,574,000 after purchasing an additional 455 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Earned Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 7.1% in the 1st quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,840 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $467,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently issued reports on MS shares. Dbs Bank upped their target price on Morgan Stanley from $185.00 to $220.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays boosted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $230.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. BNP Paribas Exane increased their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. HSBC lifted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $190.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Freedom Capital raised shares of Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $224.50.

More Morgan Stanley News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley is being viewed as Wall Street’s leading bank for AI debt deals, boosting optimism about investment-banking and financing revenue tied to data-center buildouts.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and media reports point to continued strength in Morgan Stanley’s outlook, including an article noting that FY2026 EPS forecasts were lifted.
• Positive Sentiment: Separate commentary says Morgan Stanley remains constructive on multiple sectors, including semiconductors and AI-linked infrastructure, reinforcing its image as a well-positioned market bellwether. Article: Morgan Stanley becomes Wall Street’s top bank for AI debt deals
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention is also being driven by general search interest and media mentions around Morgan Stanley, which can add to short-term trading momentum. Article: Morgan Stanley (MS) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: At the same time, Morgan Stanley recently downgraded several software names, including Adobe and Salesforce, which underscores ongoing concerns about AI-related disruption in parts of tech and may temper enthusiasm elsewhere in the market.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MS opened at $216.34 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $212.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $189.27. The stock has a market cap of $341.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.49, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.52. Morgan Stanley has a 12 month low of $136.17 and a 12 month high of $232.25.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.57. The firm had revenue of $21.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.67 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 15.65% and a return on equity of 19.51%. The firm's revenue was up 27.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 12.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be given a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. This is an increase from Morgan Stanley's previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. Morgan Stanley's payout ratio is 37.19%.

Morgan Stanley announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, June 24th that authorizes the company to buyback $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to purchase up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

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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