Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Shares Sold by Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.

Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. decreased its holdings in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 40.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,550 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 9,052 shares during the quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $1,704,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MS. Peoples Bank KS purchased a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its stake in Morgan Stanley by 138.1% in the 3rd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 300 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Planning Capital Management Corp boosted its stake in Morgan Stanley by 115.1% during the 3rd quarter. Planning Capital Management Corp now owns 357 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.19% of the company's stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

MS stock traded up $1.97 during trading on Friday, hitting $137.78. The company had a trading volume of 12,389,736 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,932,170. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $129.05 and a 200-day moving average price of $113.67. 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 firm has a market cap of $221.97 billion, a PE ratio of 20.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.36. Morgan Stanley has a 1-year low of $83.09 and a 1-year high of $138.08.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.31. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 12.58% and a net margin of 10.64%. The business had revenue of $15.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.27 billion. On average, analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 7.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Friday, January 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.925 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 31st. This represents a $3.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.69%. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio is currently 56.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on MS shares. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $146.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Morgan Stanley from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Morgan Stanley from $108.00 to $122.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $106.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $129.40.

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.