Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Shares Sold by First Financial Bank Trust Division

First Financial Bank Trust Division lowered its position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 2.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,526 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 105 shares during the quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $443,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 138.1% in the 3rd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 300 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Planning Capital Management Corp increased its stake in Morgan Stanley by 115.1% in the 3rd quarter. Planning Capital Management Corp now owns 357 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. raised its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 385.2% during the 3rd quarter. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. now owns 393 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 312 shares during the period. 84.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Morgan Stanley news, Director Stephen J. Luczo sold 60,000 shares of the firm’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 value of $7,150,200.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 138,363 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,488,718.71. This trade represents a 30.25 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Down 0.7 %

MS stock traded down $0.94 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $124.78. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,825,560 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,964,206. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $127.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $111.09. Morgan Stanley has a 12 month low of $83.09 and a 12 month high of $136.24. The company has a market capitalization of $201.03 billion, a PE ratio of 18.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.14.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.31. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 10.64% and a return on equity of 12.58%. The firm had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.27 billion. On average, equities research analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 7.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 31st were issued a $0.925 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 31st. This represents a $3.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.97%. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 56.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on MS shares. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $121.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $102.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Morgan Stanley from $108.00 to $122.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $105.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, November 25th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $121.80.

Morgan Stanley 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.