Fayez Sarofim & Co Acquires 325,579 Shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)

Fayez Sarofim & Co grew its position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 17.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,238,714 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 325,579 shares during the period. Fayez Sarofim & Co owned about 0.14% of Morgan Stanley worth $281,451,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MS. Peoples Bank KS bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. IAG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Curio Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

Shares of Morgan Stanley stock traded up $0.38 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $115.98. 5,013,135 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,662,426. Morgan Stanley has a one year low of $90.55 and a one year high of $142.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $187.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.30. 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 moving average price of $117.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $124.45.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, April 11th. The financial services provider reported $2.60 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.39. The business had revenue of $17.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.81 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 12.48% and a return on equity of 14.39%. The firm's revenue was up 17.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.02 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be given a dividend of $0.925 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $3.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.19%. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Morgan Stanley from $138.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Erste Group Bank lowered Morgan Stanley from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $144.00 to $126.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $125.00 to $122.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Morgan Stanley currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $130.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at Morgan Stanley

In related news, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 10,068 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.65, for a total transaction of $1,124,092.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 199,274 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,248,942.10. The trade was a 4.81 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.