Morgan Stanley $MS Shares Sold by Focused Investors LLC

Key Points

• Focused Investors LLC trimmed its Morgan Stanley stake by 3.3%, selling 42,550 shares and leaving 1,258,950 shares worth about $223.5 million (≈0.08% of MS), making MS its second-largest holding at 7.1% of the fund.
• Insiders sold sizable positions: Andrew M. Saperstein sold 51,668 shares (~$9.74M) and CFO Sharon Yeshaya sold 15,838 shares (~$2.94M); insiders disposed of 195,549 shares (~$36.26M) in the last quarter and own 0.17% of the company.
• Strong Q1 print but mixed analyst views: Morgan Stanley beat expectations (EPS $3.43 vs. $3.02; revenue $20.58B vs. $19.23B), announced a $1.00 quarterly dividend, yet the consensus analyst stance is a "Hold" with an average price target of $199.67.

Focused Investors LLC decreased its position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 3.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,258,950 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 42,550 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley comprises 7.1% of Focused Investors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. Focused Investors LLC owned about 0.08% of Morgan Stanley worth $223,501,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MS. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,782 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,607,000 after purchasing an additional 1,185 shares during the last quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC boosted its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 69.0% in the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 8,964 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,263,000 after acquiring an additional 3,661 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 90.9% in the second quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 16,148 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,378,000 after acquiring an additional 7,688 shares during the last quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main boosted its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 6.3% in the second quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 263,575 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $37,127,000 after acquiring an additional 15,623 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jupiter Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 7.8% in the second quarter. Jupiter Wealth Management LLC now owns 52,825 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $7,805,000 after acquiring an additional 3,807 shares during the last quarter. 84.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Argus increased their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $210.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Daiwa Securities Group cut their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $187.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Erste Group Bank restated a "hold" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $199.67.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 51,668 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.59, for a total transaction of $9,744,068.12. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 282,142 shares in the company, valued at approximately $53,209,159.78. The trade was a 15.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Sharon Yeshaya sold 15,838 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.77, for a total transaction of $2,942,225.26. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 135,304 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,135,424.08. The trade was a 10.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 195,549 shares of company stock valued at $36,260,510 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

More Morgan Stanley News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations: revenue and EPS surprised on the upside, driven by strong trading and investment‑banking performance and continued wealth‑management flows — the core earnings beat is the primary driver of investor optimism. MS Q1 Deep Dive: Wealth and Investment Banking Deliver
• Positive Sentiment: MSBT (Morgan Stanley’s spot Bitcoin ETF) has drawn >$100M in its first week — a fast start that supports asset‑gathering momentum and fee diversification at the firm. Morgan Stanley Bitcoin ETF Tops $100 Million in Six Days
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street is increasing MS valuation assumptions: several firms raised price targets and upgraded outlooks after Q1 (Bank of America, Evercore, Argus, Keefe Bruyette & Woods among them), which supports further upside narratives. Morgan Stanley Price Target Raised to $225.00 at Bank of America
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend and capital return: Morgan Stanley announced a $1.00 quarterly dividend (ex‑dividend Apr 30), signaling confidence in cash generation and returning capital to shareholders (income‑supporting but not an earnings catalyst).
• Neutral Sentiment: Ongoing investment banking / underwriting activity (including large debt syndications) highlights the firm’s franchise utility in markets — positive for fee pipelines but cyclically sensitive to capital‑markets activity.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory / reputational overhang: Senator Elizabeth Warren requested Fed records tied to a Fed nominee’s past actions that reference Morgan Stanley; while not an immediate earnings issue, it increases political/regulatory headline risk. Elizabeth Warren Challenges Fed Chair Nominee Kevin Warsh
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts still express caution: a few firms kept conservative ratings or raised PTs while maintaining neutral/hold views (e.g., HSBC/Rothschild adjustments), which can cap near‑term upside and prompt mixed trading. HSBC Adjusts Price Target on Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley Stock Up 0.1%

Morgan Stanley stock opened at $188.95 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $298.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.19. Morgan Stanley has a 1-year low of $104.78 and a 1-year high of $194.59. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $168.83 and a 200 day simple moving average of $170.85. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $20.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.23 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 14.65% and a return on equity of 17.89%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.60 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

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

Morgan Stanley 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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