Morgan Stanley (MS) Projected to Post Earnings on Wednesday

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley will report Q1 2026 results before the open on Wednesday, April 15, with analysts forecasting $2.95 EPS and $19.23 billion in revenue (earnings call 9:30 AM ET).
• The firm is debuting a spot Bitcoin ETF (ticker MSBT) and launching a private‑credit fund—initiatives that, along with a recent UBS upgrade to Buy (PT $196), could drive new fee revenue if investor inflows materialize.
• In the prior quarter MS beat estimates ($2.68 vs. $2.28) with revenue up 10.3% YoY; it pays a $1.00 quarterly dividend (2.4% yield) and has a consensus analyst rating of Hold with a $189.94 price target.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) is projected to post its Q1 2026 results before the market opens on Wednesday, April 15th. Analysts expect Morgan Stanley to post earnings of $2.95 per share and revenue of $19.2338 billion for the quarter. Individuals can check the company's upcoming Q1 2026 earning summary page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 9:30 AM ET.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.28 by $0.40. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 14.09% and a return on equity of 16.78%. The business had revenue of $17.90 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.69 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect Morgan Stanley to post $9 EPS for the current fiscal year and $9 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MS opened at $168.02 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. Morgan Stanley has a 1-year low of $97.89 and a 1-year high of $192.68. The company has a market capitalization of $266.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.19. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $168.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $169.53.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley's payout ratio is 39.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Morgan Stanley from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $177.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Erste Group Bank restated a "hold" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $215.00 to $190.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group reduced their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $187.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $189.94.

Morgan Stanley News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS upgraded Morgan Stanley to a Buy and set a $196 price target, highlighting wealth‑management strength and positioning the stock for upside versus peers. Time to buy shares of Morgan Stanley, says UBS
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley will debut its spot Bitcoin ETF (ticker MSBT) on NYSE Arca tomorrow; the fund holds physical BTC, tracks the CoinDesk 4PM NY rate, and charges a low 0.14% sponsor fee — a potential new revenue and flow source if ETF inflows materialize. MSBT: Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin ETF Ready for Launch Tomorrow
• Positive Sentiment: Firm is launching a private‑credit fund to capture dislocations in private credit markets — an asset-management growth lever if fundraising succeeds and APR spreads remain attractive. Morgan Stanley Capitalizes On Private Credit Dislocation With New Fund
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies expects US banks — including MS — to deliver solid Q1 results driven by trading activity; this is supportive but market‑sensitive ahead of earnings. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley seen riding trading boom as dealmaking holds firm, Jefferies says
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate calendar items: MS set to report/host key events (earnings focus and direct‑lending updates) — catalysts that can swing intraday volatility but don’t change the medium‑term thesis. Dear Morgan Stanley Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for April 15 Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Sets Q1 2026 Results Call
• Negative Sentiment: Several sell‑side shops trimmed price targets (Evercore/BMO cut targets; Daiwa lowered its PT to $175) — these revisions cap near‑term upside and reflect differing views on valuation and bank cyclicality. Evercore adjusts price target on Morgan Stanley Daiwa Securities adjusts price target on Morgan Stanley to 175
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage flags execution risk in newer initiatives (private‑credit fundraising while investor flows soften) — a potential headwind if markets stress and fundraising slows. Morgan Stanley plans private credit fund even as investors flee

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 32,968 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.61, for a total value 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 $65,254,222.62. This represents a 8.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 30,330 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.62, for a total transaction of $5,569,194.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 280,481 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $51,501,921.22. This trade represents a 9.76% 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 129,191 shares of company stock valued at $23,736,506. Insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Morgan Stanley

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. raised its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 58.4% in the third quarter. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. now owns 76,395 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $12,144,000 after purchasing an additional 28,162 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,782 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,607,000 after purchasing an additional 1,185 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth about $180,000. Obsidian Cio LLC bought a new position in Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth about $127,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new position in Morgan Stanley in the third quarter worth about $113,000. 84.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Morgan Stanley Company 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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