QRG Capital Management Inc. Has $39.46 Million Stake in Morgan Stanley $MS

Key Points

• QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Morgan Stanley by 6.7%, owning a total of 280,127 shares valued at approximately $39.46 million as of its latest SEC filing.
• Morgan Stanley announced a quarterly dividend increase from $0.93 to $1.00 per share, representing a 2.5% yield and a payout ratio of 45.30%.
• The company's latest earnings report showed an EPS of $2.13, beating estimates, with revenues of $16.79 billion, reflecting an 11.8% year-over-year increase.

QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 6.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 280,127 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 17,571 shares during the quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $39,459,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MS. Meridian Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Morgan Stanley by 34.3% in the 1st quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC now owns 23,869 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,785,000 after acquiring an additional 6,092 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 1st quarter worth about $57,000. AGF Management Ltd. boosted its stake in Morgan Stanley by 55.9% in the first quarter. AGF Management Ltd. now owns 327,978 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $38,265,000 after acquiring an additional 117,615 shares during the last quarter. Tlwm boosted its stake in Morgan Stanley by 1.8% in the first quarter. Tlwm now owns 13,863 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,617,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alley Investment Management Company LLC grew its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 75.0% during the 1st quarter. Alley Investment Management Company LLC now owns 62,469 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $7,288,000 after acquiring an additional 26,763 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 84.19% of the company's stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Up 1.4%

MS stock opened at $157.40 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $150.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $134.43. Morgan Stanley has a twelve month low of $94.33 and a twelve month high of $163.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $251.27 billion, a PE ratio of 17.83, a PEG ratio of 1.93 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $16.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.15 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 13.06% and a return on equity of 15.20%. Morgan Stanley's revenue was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.82 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 31st were given a dividend of $1.00 per share. This is an increase from Morgan Stanley's previous quarterly dividend of $0.93. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 31st. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.30%.

Morgan Stanley declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Tuesday, July 1st that authorizes the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to repurchase up to 8.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $145.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Morgan Stanley from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and raised their target price for the stock from $127.00 to $160.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Morgan Stanley from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, September 26th. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Morgan Stanley in a research note on Friday. They set an "outperform" rating and a $180.00 price target for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Saturday, September 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Morgan Stanley has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $149.15.

Insider Transactions at Morgan Stanley

In related news, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 43,566 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.97, for a total transaction of $6,141,499.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 294,250 shares in the company, valued at $41,480,422.50. The trade was a 12.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Michael A. Pizzi sold 18,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.62, for a total value of $2,531,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 136,407 shares in the company, valued at $19,181,552.34. This represents a 11.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 148,149 shares of company stock valued at $20,841,628. Corporate insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

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.

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