Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Shares Sold by Diversified Trust Co

Diversified Trust Co lessened its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 15.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 29,298 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 5,358 shares during the quarter. Diversified Trust Co's holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $3,418,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ethic Inc. increased its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 35.8% during the fourth quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 162,269 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $20,400,000 after acquiring an additional 42,743 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its position in Morgan Stanley by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 499,554 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $62,804,000 after buying an additional 14,283 shares during the last quarter. Pamalican Asset Management Ltd acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth approximately $4,513,000. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth approximately $5,686,000. Finally, Alpha DNA Investment Management LLC grew its position in Morgan Stanley by 112.0% in the fourth quarter. Alpha DNA Investment Management LLC now owns 39,921 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $5,019,000 after buying an additional 21,090 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.19% of the company's stock.

Morgan Stanley Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:MS opened at $140.64 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $126.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $125.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $225.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.29. Morgan Stanley has a 12-month low of $90.94 and a 12-month high of $142.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.11.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, April 11th. The financial services provider reported $2.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.39. The company had revenue of $17.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.81 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 12.98% and a return on equity of 14.98%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 17.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.02 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th were paid a dividend of $0.925 per share. This represents a $3.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Morgan Stanley

In related news, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 10,068 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.65, for a total value of $1,124,092.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 199,274 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,248,942.10. The trade was a 4.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Robert H. Herz sold 800 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction on Friday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.32, for a total transaction of $95,456.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 96,760 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,545,403.20. The trade was a 0.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 50,868 shares of company stock valued at $6,019,548 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. JMP Securities restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Monday, April 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $121.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 10th. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $150.00 to $138.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $130.00 to $120.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $133.62.

Morgan Stanley Company 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.