Morgan Stanley $MS Shares Sold by Copeland Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Copeland Capital Management trimmed its Morgan Stanley stake by 4.2%, selling 6,754 shares and leaving it with 153,010 shares valued at $27.16 million.
• Morgan Stanley beat Q1 estimates with $3.43 EPS vs. $3.02 expected and $20.58 billion in revenue, and announced a $1.00 quarterly dividend (ex-dividend April 30, payable May 15) implying a 2.1% yield.
• Insider selling was notable—110,444 shares (~$20.7M) were sold by insiders this quarter (including Daniel Simkowitz and Eric Grossman); institutional investors still own 84.19% of the stock and the analyst consensus is a "Hold" with a $201.33 target.

Copeland Capital Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 4.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 153,010 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 6,754 shares during the period. Copeland Capital Management LLC's holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $27,164,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in 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 worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares during the period. Finally, Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. grew its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 65.2% during the third quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. now owns 185 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.19% of the company's stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Down 1.3%

Morgan Stanley stock opened at $188.66 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $298.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.19. Morgan Stanley has a fifty-two week low of $111.24 and a fifty-two week high of $194.59. The stock's fifty day moving average is $169.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $171.58.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last posted its 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. The company had revenue of $20.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.23 billion. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 17.89% and a net margin of 14.65%.Morgan Stanley's revenue was up 16.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.60 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 11.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 30th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.23%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Daiwa Securities Group dropped their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $187.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. BNP Paribas Exane upped their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $170.00 to $195.00 in a report on Friday, January 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $173.00 to $179.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, 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 report on Monday. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $201.33.

Insider Activity at Morgan Stanley

In related news, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 14,690 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.24, for a total transaction of $2,779,935.60. Following the sale, the insider owned 365,802 shares of the company's stock, valued at $69,224,370.48. This trade represents a 3.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 11,118 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.75, for a total value of $2,120,758.50. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 169,403 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,313,622.25. The trade was a 6.16% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 110,444 shares of company stock valued at $20,665,049 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Morgan Stanley News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reported solid Q1 results and has been active on capital (dividend, buybacks and funding moves) — fundamentals and capital returns support valuation. Morgan Stanley’s Strong Q1 Earnings And Capital Moves Could Be A Game Changer For Morgan Stanley (MS)
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage is constructive: BMO raised its MS price target (supportive to sentiment/price targets from the sell side). BMO Capital Markets Increases Morgan Stanley NYSE: MS Price Target to $220.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and research pieces highlight Morgan Stanley’s role as an influential analyst and wealth manager (e.g., research on gaming/AI and sustainable investing) — these shape longer-term thematic flows but aren’t an immediate price catalyst. Gaming industry could unlock $22 billion in profits on AI-driven cost cuts, says Morgan Stanley
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s own macro take (downgrading near-term GDP outlook / warning on consumer dynamics) is being cited by media — that soft macro view can dampen investor appetite for bank cyclicality and reduce the “earnings multiple” investors are willing to pay. Morgan Stanley drops stunning take on GDP outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling was reported (executive sale disclosure), which can be interpreted negatively by some traders even if sales are routine. Combined with lower intraday volume vs. average, this can amplify moves down. Eric Grossman Sells 11,118 Shares of Morgan Stanley NYSE: MS Stock

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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