Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Holdings Raised by Magellan Asset Management Ltd

Key Points

• Magellan Asset Management Ltd increased its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 11.5% during the first quarter, acquiring an additional 16,475 shares, bringing their total ownership to 159,723 shares valued at approximately $18.6 million.
• Morgan Stanley recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per share, up from $0.93, reflecting a commitment to returning value to shareholders with a 2.8% yield.
• The company reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $2.13, exceeding analysts' expectations and marking a notable 11.8% revenue growth year-over-year.

Magellan Asset Management Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 11.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 159,723 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 16,475 shares during the period. Magellan Asset Management Ltd's holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $18,635,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MS. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Garde Capital Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 50.0% in the 1st quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. now owns 264 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 104.7% in the 4th quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 264 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. 84.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Charles A. Smith sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.30, for a total transaction of $2,806,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 119,239 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $16,729,231.70. This represents a 14.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Michael A. Pizzi sold 18,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.62, for a total transaction of $2,531,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 136,407 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $19,181,552.34. The trade was a 11.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 148,149 shares of company stock valued at $20,841,628 in the last three months. 0.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Morgan Stanley Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MS opened at $143.23 on Friday. Morgan Stanley has a twelve month low of $93.54 and a twelve month high of $145.48. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $138.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $128.46. The company has a market capitalization of $228.64 billion, a PE ratio of 16.22, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.30.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.15. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 13.06% and a return on equity of 15.20%. The company had revenue of $16.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.15 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.82 EPS. Morgan Stanley's revenue was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current year.

Morgan Stanley announced that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, July 1st that permits the company to buyback $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to reacquire up to 8.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 31st will be given a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. This is a boost from Morgan Stanley's previous quarterly dividend of $0.93. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.30%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MS has been the subject of several analyst reports. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and set a $130.00 target price (up previously from $125.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. Erste Group Bank raised Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Morgan Stanley from $121.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded Morgan Stanley from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $127.00 to $160.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. Finally, JMP Securities restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Monday, April 14th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $138.25.

Morgan Stanley Profile

Morgan Stanley, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. It operates through Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.