Morgan Stanley $MS Shares Sold by Nexus Investment Management ULC

Nexus Investment Management ULC decreased its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 6.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 132,027 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 9,674 shares during the quarter. Morgan Stanley comprises approximately 3.0% of Nexus Investment Management ULC’s holdings, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Nexus Investment Management ULC’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $20,987,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI boosted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 19.0% in the third quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 69,868 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $11,106,000 after buying an additional 11,167 shares during the period. Alley Investment Management Company LLC raised its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Alley Investment Management Company LLC now owns 69,975 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $11,123,000 after buying an additional 887 shares during the period. Tema Etfs LLC acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,471,000. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 41.0% in the 3rd quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $68,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. Finally, Warwick Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Morgan Stanley by 13.2% in the third quarter. Warwick Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,830 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $291,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares in the last quarter. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Morgan Stanley Stock Up 0.9%

NYSE:MS opened at $186.41 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $172.98 and a 200 day simple moving average of $158.32. Morgan Stanley has a one year low of $94.33 and a one year high of $188.82. The company has a market capitalization of $296.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.73. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 16.40% and a net margin of 13.85%.The company had revenue of $17.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.42 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.88 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 31st were issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio is 41.03%.

Morgan Stanley News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Morgan Stanley this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley was hired as an advisor on a potential Hong Kong IPO for Xpeng’s Aeroht flying‑car unit — a mandate that could generate investment‑banking fees and demonstrates continued deal flow from China EV groups. Tesla Rival Xpeng Hires Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan To Prepare Hong Kong Listing For Aeroht: Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Markets are entering a busy earnings week for banks and financials (Bank of America, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs among those highlighted). That raises the chance of near‑term volatility in MS shares as investors reprice the stock on the bank‑sector print and guidance. Option Volatility And Earnings Report For January 12 – 16
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley analysts remain active — recent notes cited in the tape include coverage changes and price‑target moves across tech and consumer names (e.g., Arista, Alibaba, Doximity, Andersen). Analyst activity supports MS’s research/revenue profile but typically has only incremental impact on MS stock versus deal and trading volumes. Morgan Stanley and Jefferies Cut Price Targets on Alibaba (BABA)
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market commentary from Morgan Stanley strategists (on topics like earnings growth and sector rotation) continues to shape investor positioning into 2026; these macro views can support higher trading volumes and client flows but are not a direct one‑off catalyst. Morgan Stanley’s Mike Wilson Sees ‘Crystal Clear’ Earnings Growth, Says ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Will Fuel Consumer Stocks Rally

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Edward Pick sold 100,000 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.34, for a total value of $16,434,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 574,986 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $94,493,199.24. The trade was a 14.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $184.00 to $202.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $183.00 to $219.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $180.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Morgan Stanley from $186.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $145.00 to $171.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $181.85.

Morgan Stanley Company Profile

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1935 by Henry S. Morgan and Harold Stanley, the company provides a broad range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services to corporations, governments, institutions and individual investors. Leadership has been guided by a senior executive team and board of directors; James P. Gorman has served as the company’s chief executive and chairman in recent years.

The firm’s primary business activities are organized around three principal businesses: Institutional Securities, Wealth Management and Investment Management.