Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Shares Sold by New York State Common Retirement Fund

New York State Common Retirement Fund decreased its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 6.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,524,203 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 104,100 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned 0.09% of Morgan Stanley worth $177,829,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 1,185 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 108.7% during the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 8,393 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,055,000 after buying an additional 4,372 shares during the period. Moors & Cabot Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 4,727 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $594,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Morgan Stanley by 20.0% in the fourth quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 4,497 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $565,000 after acquiring an additional 751 shares during the period. Finally, HBK Sorce Advisory LLC raised its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 9.6% in the fourth quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 5,536 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $696,000 after purchasing an additional 487 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.19% of the company's stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MS traded up $1.69 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $143.97. 5,373,574 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,669,135. The firm has a market capitalization of $230.97 billion, a PE ratio of 16.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.30. The company's 50 day moving average price is $132.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $126.70. 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 has a 12 month low of $90.94 and a 12 month high of $145.16.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.81 billion. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 14.98% and a net margin of 12.98%. The firm's revenue was up 17.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.02 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program 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 purchase up to 8.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Robert H. Herz sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.32, for a total value of $95,456.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 96,760 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,545,403.20. This represents a 0.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 40,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total transaction of $4,800,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 335,765 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $40,291,800. This trade represents a 10.64% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 50,868 shares of company stock worth $6,019,548. Insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. JMP Securities reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Monday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Morgan Stanley from $125.00 to $122.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 14th. Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $130.00 price objective (up previously from $125.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. Finally, Erste Group Bank upgraded Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 24th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $136.69.

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.