Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Shares Sold by Alpha DNA Investment Management LLC

Alpha DNA Investment Management LLC reduced its position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 59.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 18,831 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 27,376 shares during the quarter. Morgan Stanley comprises about 0.7% of Alpha DNA Investment Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Alpha DNA Investment Management LLC's holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $1,963,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 1,147.6% in the second quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 262 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 241 shares during the period. Bank & Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Stephen J. Luczo sold 60,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.17, for a total value of $7,150,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 138,363 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $16,488,718.71. The trade was a 30.25 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the company's stock.

Morgan Stanley Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE MS traded down $0.30 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $134.69. The stock had a trading volume of 6,334,100 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,884,451. The business's fifty day moving average price is $116.16 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $105.23. The firm has a market cap of $216.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.34. Morgan Stanley has a 52-week low of $76.33 and a 52-week high of $135.67. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.14.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.31. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 10.64% and a return on equity of 12.58%. The company had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.27 billion. Analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 7.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 31st were issued a dividend of $0.925 per share. This represents a $3.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.75%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 31st. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 56.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MS shares. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $108.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Morgan Stanley from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and increased their price target for the company from $107.00 to $142.00 in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Morgan Stanley from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, October 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $106.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $112.94.

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.