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

Key Points

• Representative Julie Johnson sold shares of Morgan Stanley valued between $1,001 and $15,000 on August 14th, as disclosed in a filing on September 11th.
• Morgan Stanley's stock is currently trading at $156.47 with a twelve-month high of $157.76 and a low of $94.33.
• The company recently disclosed a quarterly dividend increase to $1.00 per share, marking a positive change from its previous quarterly dividend of $0.93.

Representative Julie Johnson (D-Texas) recently sold shares of Morgan Stanley NYSE: MS. In a filing disclosed on September 11th, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Morgan Stanley stock on August 14th. 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 McDonald's NYSE: MCD on 8/14/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Eli Lilly and Company NYSE: LLY on 8/14/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. NYSE: AJG on 8/14/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Parker-Hannifin NYSE: PH on 8/14/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Charles Schwab NYSE: SCHW on 8/14/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Fidelity National Information Services NYSE: FIS on 8/14/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of ConocoPhillips NYSE: COP on 8/14/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Home Depot NYSE: HD on 8/14/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Dover NYSE: DOV on 8/14/2025.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of UnitedHealth Group NYSE: UNH on 8/14/2025.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

Morgan Stanley stock traded down $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $156.47. 4,341,386 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,375,522. Morgan Stanley has a twelve month low of $94.33 and a twelve month high of $157.76. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $145.30 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $130.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.30, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.78. The firm has a market cap of $249.78 billion, a PE ratio of 17.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.33.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $2.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $16.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.15 billion. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 15.20% and a net margin of 13.06%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.82 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, July 1st that authorizes the company to buyback $20.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to purchase up to 8.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 31st were given a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 31st. This is a positive change from Morgan Stanley's previous quarterly dividend of $0.93. Morgan Stanley's payout ratio is 45.30%.

Insider Activity at Morgan Stanley

In other Morgan Stanley news, CFO Sharon Yeshaya sold 25,583 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.81, for a total transaction of $3,576,759.23. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 29,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.13, for a total value of $4,092,770.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 399,105 shares of the company's stock, valued at $56,325,688.65. The trade was a 6.77% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 148,149 shares of company stock valued at $20,841,628 in the last ninety days. 0.19% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MS has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. 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 raised their price target on Morgan Stanley from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $130.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. Erste Group Bank raised Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 24th. Finally, 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $138.25.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Morgan Stanley

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MS. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Morgan Stanley by 111.0% in the 1st quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 211 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC increased its position in Morgan Stanley by 645.8% during the second quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 179 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley during the first quarter worth $27,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley during the second quarter worth $28,000. 84.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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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