Morgan Stanley $MS Stock Holdings Cut by Dupont Capital Management Corp

Key Points

• Dupont Capital reduced its Morgan Stanley stake by 8.7% in Q4, selling 7,377 shares and now holding 77,634 shares valued at $13.78 million, which represents 1.6% of its portfolio and the firm's 18th largest holding.
• Morgan Stanley beat Q1 estimates, reporting $3.43 EPS versus $3.02 expected and revenue of $20.58 billion (up 16% year‑over‑year); management also announced buybacks and a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per share (2.1% yield, ex‑dividend Apr 30, payable May 15).
• Analyst reaction is mixed—several firms raised price targets (e.g., Barclays to $230, KBW to $218) but the consensus rating is still a "Hold" with a $197.67 target, and recent insider selling (129,191 shares last quarter) may temper upside expectations.

Dupont Capital Management Corp reduced its position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 8.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 77,634 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 7,377 shares during the quarter. Morgan Stanley comprises 1.6% of Dupont Capital Management Corp's portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Dupont Capital Management Corp's holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $13,782,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new position in Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 65.2% during the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. 84.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Morgan Stanley Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MS opened at $187.07 on Friday. 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 has a 1 year low of $104.78 and a 1 year high of $194.59. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $168.65 and a 200 day simple moving average of $170.48. The firm has a market cap of $295.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.19.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.02 by $0.41. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 17.89% and a net margin of 14.65%.The business had revenue of $20.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.23 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.60 earnings per share. Morgan Stanley's quarterly revenue was up 16.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on MS. Barclays raised their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $219.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. Daiwa Securities Group reduced their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $187.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $207.00 price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research note on Thursday. Citizens Jmp reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Morgan Stanley currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $197.67.

Insider Buying and Selling at Morgan Stanley

In other Morgan Stanley news, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 30,330 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.62, for a total transaction of $5,569,194.60. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 280,481 shares of the company's stock, valued at $51,501,921.22. This represents a 9.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 21,555 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.00, for a total transaction of $3,966,120.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 171,005 shares in the company, valued at $31,464,920. The trade was a 11.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 129,191 shares of company stock valued at $23,736,506 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Morgan Stanley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and business momentum: MS reported stronger‑than‑expected Q1 results (EPS and revenue), driven by record markets trading, robust investment‑banking activity and wealth‑management inflows; management also announced buybacks and a $1.00 quarterly dividend. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price‑target lifts and upgrades: Several firms raised targets or ratings after the print, supporting upside case and giving investors fresh valuation anchors. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: New business channels: MS’s spot Bitcoin ETF attracted meaningful early inflows (~$100M+ in the first week), showing product traction and a potential recurring fee/asset channel for Wealth clients. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory / capital tailwind: CFO commentary and reporting suggest Morgan Stanley may see modest capital relief under an impending U.S. capital regime overhaul—could free capital for buybacks/dividends over time. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend confirmed: MS declared a $1.00 quarterly dividend (ex‑dividend date late April), which supports income investors but is priced in. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑run strategy signals: Management and CFO commentary emphasized tokenization and wealth‑platform initiatives—positive strategically but long‑term in payoff. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term profit taking / resistance: The stock has pulled back after an initial post‑earnings pop as traders locked gains; some commentators note near‑term resistance despite the beat. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and elevated expectations: Filings show insider sells and analysts flag that valuation is “hot” after the run — raising the risk of multiple compression if earnings momentum slows. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/regulatory headlines remain a wildcard: Broader market moves (geopolitics, rates) and political probes into past Fed actions can periodically re‑rate big banks. Read More.

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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