Focused Investors LLC cut its holdings in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 1.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,618,200 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 31,500 shares during the quarter. Morgan Stanley accounts for 5.1% of Focused Investors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. Focused Investors LLC owned about 0.10% of Morgan Stanley worth $168,681,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in MS. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC increased its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 1,147.6% during the second quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 262 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 241 shares in the last quarter. Bank & Trust Co acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley in the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. 84.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
NYSE:MS opened at $134.06 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $215.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.40, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.14, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80. Morgan Stanley has a fifty-two week low of $76.33 and a fifty-two week high of $134.91. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $112.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $103.84.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.88 earnings per share 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.27 billion. Equities research analysts forecast that Morgan Stanley will post 7.32 EPS for the current year.
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 31st were given a dividend of $0.925 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 31st. This represents a $3.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.76%. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio is presently 56.32%.
In other news, Director Stephen J. Luczo sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.17, for a total value of $7,150,200.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 138,363 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,488,718.71. This trade represents a 30.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.24% of the company's stock.
Several research firms have recently weighed in on MS. HSBC raised shares of Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $118.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Hsbc Global Res raised shares of Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Morgan Stanley from $108.00 to $122.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Morgan Stanley from $106.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $111.29.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on MS
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.
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