Ethos Capital Management Inc. Acquires 10,399 Shares of Morgan Stanley $MS

Ethos Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 10,399 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,956,000. Morgan Stanley accounts for about 1.3% of Ethos Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MS. Partners Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 115.1% in the 3rd quarter. Partners Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,079 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,143,000 after buying an additional 3,253 shares during the period. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 1st quarter worth approximately $8,854,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 12.0% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 279,622 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $58,452,000 after acquiring an additional 30,010 shares during the period. Diversify Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 201.0% during the 1st quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 17,559 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,890,000 after acquiring an additional 11,726 shares during the period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 10.9% during the 2nd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 294,047 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $61,468,000 after acquiring an additional 28,877 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.19% of the company’s stock.

Morgan Stanley Price Performance

Shares of MS opened at $181.65 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.65. The stock has a market cap of $286.52 billion, a PE ratio of 14.42, a PEG ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.23. Morgan Stanley has a 12-month low of $152.80 and a 12-month high of $232.25. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $195.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $194.31.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 14th. The financial services provider reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $20.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.93 billion. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 19.40% and a net margin of 15.63%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.80 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 12.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Friday, October 30th will be issued a $1.15 dividend. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $215.00 to $210.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Zacks Research lowered Morgan Stanley from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $230.00 target price (down from $250.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $243.00 to $195.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $214.81.

Key Morgan Stanley News

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

• Positive Sentiment: CNBC traders named Morgan Stanley among their “final trades,” citing strong earnings and outlooks. Morgan Stanley, Chubb and CF Industries: CNBC’s ‘Final Trades’
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley has begun using the DTCC’s tokenization service for U.S. equities and Treasuries. The move positions the bank in emerging blockchain market infrastructure, though reports provide no detail on expected revenue or near-term financial impact. What Could Morgan Stanley (MS) Tokenization Mean For Its Role In Markets?
• Negative Sentiment: Recent weakness in Morgan Stanley shares was described as part of a broad market selloff that dragged down major banks, with no company-specific news identified. The bank’s exposure to trading and dealmaking could make it sensitive if market activity cools. Morgan Stanley Sinks 6%, Goldman Down 6%, Citi Down 5% as Market Selloff Drags Wall Street Banks

Morgan Stanley Profile

Morgan Stanley is a global financial services company that provides investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services to corporations, governments, institutions and individuals.

Its Institutional Securities business offers services such as financial advisory, capital raising, sales and trading, and research. The company also provides financial planning, brokerage and banking services through its Wealth Management business, while its Investment Management business offers investment strategies and portfolio management to a range of clients.

Founded in 1935, Morgan Stanley serves clients in the United States and across international markets, including Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.