Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Shares Acquired by Merit Financial Group LLC

Merit Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 78.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 14,158 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 6,204 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $1,780,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,748 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $346,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Cardinal Point Capital Management ULC lifted its position in Morgan Stanley by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Cardinal Point Capital Management ULC now owns 2,697 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $339,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Mason & Associates Inc boosted its stake in Morgan Stanley by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. Mason & Associates Inc now owns 3,177 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $399,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New Hampshire grew its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New Hampshire now owns 6,313 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $794,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton increased its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 2.6% during the third quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 3,748 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $391,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.19% of the company's stock.

Morgan Stanley Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MS traded down $0.45 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $137.42. 7,938,370 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,121,462. The firm has a market cap of $221.39 billion, a PE ratio of 17.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.36. Morgan Stanley has a fifty-two week low of $83.09 and a fifty-two week high of $138.08. 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 50-day simple moving average of $129.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of $114.03.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.68. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 14.39% and a net margin of 12.48%. The business had revenue of $16.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.13 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 25.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.925 per share. This represents a $3.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.69%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 31st. Morgan Stanley's payout ratio is 46.60%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $104.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on Morgan Stanley from $138.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday. Hsbc Global Res lowered Morgan Stanley from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Barclays lifted their target price on Morgan Stanley from $155.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $146.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $131.27.

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.