Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 16.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 74,309 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 10,403 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise's holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $7,745,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MS. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC boosted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 1,147.6% in the 2nd quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 262 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 241 shares during the last quarter. Bank & Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the third quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley in the second quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.19% of the company's stock.
Morgan Stanley Price Performance
Shares of NYSE MS traded down $1.54 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $132.24. 7,244,042 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,090,834. Morgan Stanley has a 52 week low of $76.33 and a 52 week high of $135.51. The company's 50 day moving average price is $113.26 and its 200 day moving average price is $104.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $213.04 billion, a PE ratio of 20.13, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.14.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.27 billion. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 12.58% and a net margin of 10.64%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Morgan Stanley will post 7.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend
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 $0.925 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 31st. This represents a $3.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.80%. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio is currently 56.32%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of research firms have recently commented on MS. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Morgan Stanley from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $107.00 to $142.00 in a research note on Friday. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $102.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $121.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. HSBC raised Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $118.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, October 4th. Finally, Hsbc Global Res upgraded Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $111.29.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on MS
Insider Activity at Morgan Stanley
In related news, Director Stephen J. Luczo sold 60,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 17th. The stock was 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 $16,488,718.71. This trade represents a 30.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Morgan Stanley Profile
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Free Report)
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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