Morgan Stanley Price Target Increased to $129.00

On Tuesday, research analysts from JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target for shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) from $124.00 to $129.00. In the research report, they maintained a "neutral" rating on the financial services provider's stock. This new price target suggests a potential upside of approximately 3.45% from its current trading price.

Several other analysts have also provided updates on Morgan Stanley recently. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price earlier this month from $138.00 to $145.00, classifying the stock as a "market perform" in their analysis. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs reduced their price objective from $144.00 to $126.00 and also rated the stock as "neutral". Citigroup adjusted their price target down from $135.00 to $125.00 and assigned a neutral rating as well. Conversely, Barclays revised their price goal for Morgan Stanley up from $155.00 to $156.00 with an "overweight" rating.

Overall, the consensus from twelve research analysts indicates a hold rating for the stock, with an average target price of approximately $132.33. Six analysts have issued buy ratings, highlighting some positive sentiment in the market.

Morgan Stanley's Recent Stock Performance

As of Tuesday, shares of Morgan Stanley opened at $124.70. The company has demonstrated a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.14, and its current and quick ratios are both at 0.80. Over the past year, its stock has reached a low of $85.01 and a high of $142.03. The stock's 50-day simple moving average currently stands at $130.56, and its 200-day simple moving average is $123.31.

The market capitalization for Morgan Stanley is around $201.13 billion. Its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is at 15.69, and the price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio is 1.18.

Latest Earnings Report

Morgan Stanley released its latest earnings report on January 16th, where it reported earnings per share (EPS) of $2.22, surpassing the consensus estimate of $1.54 by a significant margin. The company's revenue for the quarter was $16.23 billion, exceeding analysts' forecasts of $15.03 billion. Morgan Stanley's net margin was recorded at 12.48%, and its return on equity was 14.39%. This reflects a year-over-year revenue growth of 25.9%, with the previous year having an EPS of $1.13. Analysts are projecting an EPS of 8.56 for the current fiscal year.

Insider Trading Activities

In related activities, CFO Raja Akram sold 17,500 shares of the company on January 21st for an average price of $136.01, totaling $2,380,175.00. Following this transaction, he holds 81,440 shares valued at approximately $11.08 million. Another insider, Eric F. Grossman, sold 13,097 shares on the same day for an average price of $136.20, with a total value of about $1.78 million. After this sale, he directly owns 197,444 shares worth approximately $26.89 million.

Currently, 0.24% of Morgan Stanley's stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Holdings and Investor Activity

Recently, several institutional investors have adjusted their positions in Morgan Stanley. Peoples Bank KS purchased a new stake worth $25,000 in the fourth quarter. Other notable purchases include Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC, which also bought a stake of around $25,000, and IAG Wealth Partners LLC, investing around $28,000. Ancora Advisors LLC increased their position by 104.7% during the same quarter, now holding 264 shares valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors currently own about 84.19% of Morgan Stanley's stock.

Company Overview

Morgan Stanley is a leading financial holding company that offers a range of financial products and services to various clients, including corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individual investors across the globe. The company operates through three key segments: Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management.

Morgan, Stanley, JPMorgan