SEB Asset Management AB Purchases New Stake in Morgan Stanley $MS

Key Points

• SEB Asset Management AB disclosed a new position in Morgan Stanley during the first quarter, buying 319,636 shares valued at about $52.6 million.
• Morgan Stanley recently posted strong Q2 results, with earnings of $3.46 per share beating estimates and revenue rising 27.1% year over year to $21.35 billion.
• The company also boosted its quarterly dividend to $1.15 per share and authorized a $20 billion stock buyback, signaling confidence in its financial strength and capital-return strategy.

SEB Asset Management AB acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 319,636 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $52,602,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MS. Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.19% of the company's stock.

More Morgan Stanley News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reported blockbuster Q2 2026 results, with record net revenues of about $21.3 billion and earnings that beat expectations, reinforcing confidence in the company’s core businesses. Morgan Stanley (MS) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights: Record Revenues and Strategic Growth ...
• Positive Sentiment: The board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.15 per share, a 15% increase from the prior quarter, which signals confidence in earnings power and capital return capacity.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts turned more constructive after the earnings release, with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raising its price target to $250 and Erste Group lifting FY2027 EPS estimates, suggesting more upside may remain. Morgan Stanley had its price target raised by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $225.00 to $250.00
• Neutral Sentiment: New reports also pointed to Morgan Stanley’s E*TRADE crypto rollout and AI-related market activity, which could help broaden its platform appeal over time but are not likely the main short-term drivers of the stock move.
• Negative Sentiment: Some articles noted a downgrade-style view from Seeking Alpha and a JPMorgan target below the current share price, which may temper enthusiasm at the margin even after the strong earnings beat. Morgan Stanley Maintains Hold on Comstock Resources, Keeps Price Target Unchanged at $16 Amid Cash Outspend and Funding Concerns

Morgan Stanley Price Performance

Shares of MS opened at $215.27 on Friday. Morgan Stanley has a 1-year low of $136.17 and a 1-year high of $232.25. The stock has a market cap of $339.54 billion, a PE ratio of 17.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.23. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $211.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $188.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.52, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.77.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.57. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 15.65% and a return on equity of 19.51%. The business had revenue of $21.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.13 EPS. The business's revenue was up 27.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Morgan Stanley will post 12.55 EPS for the current year.

Morgan Stanley declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, June 24th that allows the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the financial services provider to buy up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from Morgan Stanley's previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.19%.

Insider Transactions at Morgan Stanley

In related news, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 11,118 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.75, for a total transaction of $2,120,758.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 169,403 shares in the company, valued at $32,313,622.25. This trade represents a 6.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on MS. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $225.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday. Zacks Research lowered shares of Morgan Stanley from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Oppenheimer cut Morgan Stanley from a "market perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Wolfe Research decreased their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $221.00 to $197.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their target price on Morgan Stanley from $183.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $220.80.

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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