Torray Investment Partners LLC Has $5.53 Million Stock Holdings in Morgan Stanley $MS

Key Points

• Torray Investment Partners cut its Morgan Stanley stake by 21.6% in Q4, selling 8,594 shares and finishing with 31,138 shares valued at about $5.53 million.
• Morgan Stanley reported a strong Q1 beat (EPS $3.43 vs. $3.02 est.; revenue $20.58B vs. $19.23B) and confirmed capital actions, including a $1.00 quarterly dividend ($4.00 annualized, 2.1% yield) and share repurchases.
• Insiders have been net sellers (110,444 shares worth roughly $20.7M over the last three months) even as several brokers raised targets; MarketBeat's consensus rating remains a Hold with a $201.33 target price.

Torray Investment Partners LLC decreased its position in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 21.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 31,138 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 8,594 shares during the quarter. Torray Investment Partners LLC's holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $5,528,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 65.2% in the 3rd quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. now owns 185 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. bought a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.19% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on MS. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $210.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Morgan Stanley from $189.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Citizens Jmp reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $201.33.

More Morgan Stanley News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reported a robust Q1 beat (EPS and revenue above consensus) and confirmed capital actions (dividend/repurchases) that underpin earnings quality and capital deployment. Morgan Stanley’s Strong Q1 Earnings And Capital Moves Could Be A Game Changer
• Positive Sentiment: Outside brokers raised targets — BMO boosted its MS price target to $220, signaling buy-side momentum and giving the stock technical/valuation support. BMO Capital Markets Increases Morgan Stanley Price Target to $220.00
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s move into crypto products — including the firm's Spot Bitcoin ETF and reported institutional seed flows (~$138M cited in market discussion) — adds a new fee/revenue stream and highlights distribution capability. That initiative is being treated as a strategic growth catalyst by markets. $138M Bitcoin Play Triggers Rally, Signals Shift In Big Money Sentiment
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive tape for the broader bank/financial sector after several peers beat Q1 estimates provided a lift to MS as investors rotate into beaten-up financials; some of today’s move is sector momentum rather than MS-specific news. Big Bank Earnings Gave Financials a Lift, But Wall Street Is Still Cautious (MS)
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley research notes (e.g., AI in gaming) keep the firm visible as a thought leader — helpful for institutional franchise but not an immediate earnings lever. Gaming industry could unlock $22 billion in profits on AI-driven cost cuts, says Morgan Stanley
• Negative Sentiment: Small insider selling was disclosed (Eric Grossman sale), and some commentators flag valuation after a strong one‑year run — both can cap upside or prompt short-term profit-taking. Eric Grossman Sells 11,118 Shares of Morgan Stanley NYSE: MS Stock Is It Too Late To Consider Morgan Stanley (MS) After A 76% One Year Surge?

Insider Activity at Morgan Stanley

In related news, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 32,968 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.61, for a total transaction of $6,020,286.48. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 357,342 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $65,254,222.62. This represents a 8.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 11,118 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the insider owned 169,403 shares in the company, valued at $32,313,622.25. This trade represents a 6.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 110,444 shares of company stock worth $20,665,049. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Morgan Stanley Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of MS traded down $0.41 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $190.64. The stock had a trading volume of 233,365 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,236,657. The company has a market cap of $301.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.19. Morgan Stanley has a 52 week low of $111.24 and a 52 week high of $194.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $169.50 and a 200 day moving average of $171.46.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.41. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 17.89% and a net margin of 14.65%.The firm had revenue of $20.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.23 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.60 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 16.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 11.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley's payout ratio is 36.23%.

Morgan Stanley Profile

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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