Morgan Stanley $MS Shares Sold by Copeland Capital Management LLC

Copeland Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 11.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 135,026 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 17,984 shares during the quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $22,221,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Modera Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Morgan Stanley by 15.1% in the 1st quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,235 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,520,000 after buying an additional 1,214 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. raised its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 7.0% during the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 171,725 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,261,000 after buying an additional 11,305 shares in the last quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 18.6% during the 1st quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,670 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,262,000 after buying an additional 1,202 shares in the last quarter. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 1st quarter worth approximately $8,854,000. Finally, Avalon Trust Co lifted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 15.2% in the 1st quarter. Avalon Trust Co now owns 9,296 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,530,000 after acquiring an additional 1,225 shares during the period. 84.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Morgan Stanley News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reported blockbuster Q2 2026 results, with record net revenues of about $21.3 billion and earnings that beat expectations, reinforcing confidence in the company’s core businesses. Morgan Stanley (MS) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights: Record Revenues and Strategic Growth …
• Positive Sentiment: The board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.15 per share, a 15% increase from the prior quarter, which signals confidence in earnings power and capital return capacity.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts turned more constructive after the earnings release, with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raising its price target to $250 and Erste Group lifting FY2027 EPS estimates, suggesting more upside may remain. Morgan Stanley had its price target raised by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $225.00 to $250.00
• Neutral Sentiment: New reports also pointed to Morgan Stanley’s E*TRADE crypto rollout and AI-related market activity, which could help broaden its platform appeal over time but are not likely the main short-term drivers of the stock move.
• Negative Sentiment: Some articles noted a downgrade-style view from Seeking Alpha and a JPMorgan target below the current share price, which may temper enthusiasm at the margin even after the strong earnings beat. Morgan Stanley Maintains Hold on Comstock Resources, Keeps Price Target Unchanged at $16 Amid Cash Outspend and Funding Concerns

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on MS shares. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Morgan Stanley from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Erste Group Bank raised Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $187.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, CICC Research lifted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $220.80.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

NYSE:MS opened at $215.27 on Friday. Morgan Stanley has a twelve month low of $136.17 and a twelve month high of $232.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.52. The company has a 50-day moving average of $211.69 and a 200-day moving average of $188.71. The firm has a market cap of $339.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.23.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.57. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 15.65% and a return on equity of 19.51%. The company had revenue of $21.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 27.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Morgan Stanley will post 12.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be given a $1.15 dividend. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. This is a positive change from Morgan Stanley’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.23%.

Morgan Stanley declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Wednesday, June 24th that authorizes the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to repurchase up to 5.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Morgan Stanley

In other Morgan Stanley news, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 11,118 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.75, for a total value of $2,120,758.50. Following the transaction, the insider owned 169,403 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $32,313,622.25. This represents a 6.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Morgan Stanley 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.