NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC Grows Position in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)

NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC raised its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 0.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 181,749 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,173 shares during the period. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $18,945,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the second quarter valued at $25,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC grew its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 1,147.6% during the 2nd quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 262 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $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 worth $26,000. Finally, Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.19% of the company’s stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Down 1.9 %

Shares of MS traded down $2.29 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $116.88. 7,271,677 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,094,703. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.96, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.78. The company has a market cap of $189.95 billion, a PE ratio of 21.28, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.36. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $105.03 and its 200-day moving average is $100.01. Morgan Stanley has a 52 week low of $69.42 and a 52 week high of $121.45.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 31st will be given a dividend of $0.925 per share. This represents a $3.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 31st. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio is 67.40%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Morgan Stanley

In other news, Director Stephen J. Luczo sold 60,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.17, for a total transaction of $7,150,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 138,363 shares in the company, valued at $16,488,718.71. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MS. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $95.00 to $107.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Oppenheimer lowered Morgan Stanley from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, JMP Securities reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Morgan Stanley has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $109.24.

Morgan Stanley Company Profile

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.