Rep. Julie Johnson Sells Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Shares

Representative Julie Johnson (D-Texas) recently sold shares of Morgan Stanley NYSE: MS. In a filing disclosed on June 13th, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Morgan Stanley stock on May 15th. The trade occurred in the Representative's "CHASE BROKERAGE ACCOUNT (3935)" account.

Representative Julie Johnson also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Palantir Technologies NASDAQ: PLTR on 6/30/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of 3M NYSE: MMM on 6/18/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. NYSE: MRK on 6/13/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Bank of New York Mellon NYSE: BK on 5/15/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Fidelity National Information Services NYSE: FIS on 5/15/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of General Dynamics NYSE: GD on 5/2/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Fidelity National Information Services NYSE: FIS on 4/30/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Blackstone NYSE: BX on 4/22/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Fidelity National Information Services NYSE: FIS on 4/22/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of United Parcel Service NYSE: UPS on 4/15/2025.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

MS stock traded up $0.50 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $143.00. The company had a trading volume of 3,462,907 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,791,441. The stock has a market capitalization of $229.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.30. 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 one year low of $90.94 and a one year high of $145.16. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $135.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $127.74.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.15 billion. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 15.33% and a net margin of 13.06%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.82 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 31st will be paid a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.80%. This is a boost from Morgan Stanley's previous quarterly dividend of $0.93. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.30%.

Morgan Stanley announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan 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 plans are typically a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Sharon Yeshaya sold 25,583 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.81, for a total value of $3,576,759.23. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 128,662 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $17,988,234.22. This trade represents a 16.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 29,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.13, for a total value of $4,092,770.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 399,105 shares in the company, valued at $56,325,688.65. The trade was a 6.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 188,949 shares of company stock worth $25,737,084 in the last three months. 0.19% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Morgan Stanley from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and raised their price target for the company from $127.00 to $160.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Morgan Stanley from $121.00 to $136.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Morgan Stanley from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Morgan Stanley from $125.00 to $122.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Erste Group Bank raised Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 24th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $138.25.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Morgan Stanley

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 111.0% during the 1st quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 211 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. IAG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, RMG Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 2nd quarter valued at about $35,000. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Representative Johnson

Julie Johnson (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Texas' 32nd Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2025. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027. Johnson (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 32nd Congressional District. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024. Julie Johnson earned a B.A. in history and government from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987 and a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1991. Johnson's career experience includes working as an attorney.

About Morgan Stanley

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.