Lord Abbett & CO. LLC lifted its holdings in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 6.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,067,755 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 120,503 shares during the quarter. Morgan Stanley makes up about 0.8% of Lord Abbett & CO. LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC owned 0.13% of Morgan Stanley worth $259,958,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Peoples Bank KS purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. IAG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Curio Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insider Activity
In related news, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 10,068 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.65, for a total value of $1,124,092.20. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 199,274 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,248,942.10. This represents a 4.81 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.
Morgan Stanley Stock Down 0.2 %
Shares of MS traded down $0.20 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $115.81. 4,171,239 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,660,258. Morgan Stanley has a 1-year low of $90.55 and a 1-year high of $142.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.14. The company has a market capitalization of $186.78 billion, a PE ratio of 14.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.30. The business has a 50 day moving average of $116.88 and a 200 day moving average of $124.73.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 11th. The financial services provider reported $2.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.39. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 12.48% and a return on equity of 14.39%. The firm had revenue of $17.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.02 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 17.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current year.
Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.925 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $3.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.19%. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.43%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
MS has been the subject of several recent research reports. Erste Group Bank downgraded Morgan Stanley from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $130.00 to $120.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 14th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $135.00 to $125.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 24th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $155.00 to $156.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $130.50.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on MS
Morgan Stanley Profile
(
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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