BMO Capital Markets Issues Positive Forecast for Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Stock Price

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) had its price target boosted by BMO Capital Markets from $220.00 to $240.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. BMO Capital Markets’ price target would suggest a potential upside of 12.19% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on MS. Citigroup increased their price target on Morgan Stanley from $194.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. UBS Group upped their target price on Morgan Stanley from $196.00 to $214.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Bank of America raised their target price on Morgan Stanley from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $200.00 to $225.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upped their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $210.50.

Morgan Stanley Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE MS opened at $213.92 on Monday. Morgan Stanley has a 12-month low of $135.26 and a 12-month high of $230.47. The stock has a market cap of $337.41 billion, a PE ratio of 19.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.23. 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 $203.03 and a 200 day moving average of $184.55.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $20.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.23 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 14.65% and a return on equity of 17.70%. The business’s revenue was up 16.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.60 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 11.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, June 24th that permits the company to buyback $20.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to purchase up to 5.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Morgan Stanley

In other Morgan Stanley news, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 11,118 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 169,403 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $32,313,622.25. The trade was a 6.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 14,690 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.24, for a total transaction of $2,779,935.60. Following the sale, the insider owned 365,802 shares in the company, valued at $69,224,370.48. This trade represents a 3.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 77,476 shares of company stock worth $14,644,762. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Purpose Unlimited Inc. purchased a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Olistico Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the second quarter worth $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.19% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Morgan Stanley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its quarterly dividend to $1.15 from $1.00 and reauthorized a new multi-year share buyback program of up to $20 billion, signaling confidence in capital generation and a stronger return of cash to shareholders. Does Dividend Hike And US$20 Billion Buyback Change The Bull Case For Morgan Stanley (MS)?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to broadly view Morgan Stanley favorably, with reports citing a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, which can help support the stock’s valuation. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s research and commentary remained active across multiple sectors, including positive calls on Coca-Cola and several utility names, reinforcing its influence on market sentiment but not directly changing MS fundamentals. This is Why Morgan Stanley Believes The Coca-Cola Company (KO) is a Top Beverage Stock To Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Another article highlighted Morgan Stanley’s view on housing rates staying elevated, which is more of a macro read-through than a direct catalyst for the bank. Americans May ‘Never See’ Cheap Housing Again, Says Market Commentator As Morgan Stanley Mortgage Rate Predictions Come Above Pre-2022 Levels
• Negative Sentiment: One concern is that Morgan Stanley’s North Haven Private Income Fund is facing unusually high redemption requests, which could raise questions about private-markets demand and near-term asset flows. Morgan Stanley (MS) Opens Private Markets Wider As Redemptions Test North Haven Fund

About Morgan Stanley

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.