Ninepoint Partners LP Acquires New Holdings in Morgan Stanley $MS

Ninepoint Partners LP bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund bought 4,375 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $915,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Morgan Stanley by 143.4% in the 2nd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 129 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Atlatl Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. 84.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Morgan Stanley Trading Down 3.1%

MS stock opened at $207.58 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $327.41 billion, a PE ratio of 16.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.65, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. Morgan Stanley has a one year low of $142.90 and a one year high of $232.25. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $217.16 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $193.98.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.89 by $0.57. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 15.65% and a return on equity of 19.31%. The company had revenue of $21.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.13 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 27.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 12.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, June 24th that authorizes the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to buy up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Morgan Stanley Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st were given a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 31st. This is a positive change from Morgan Stanley’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.19%.

Morgan Stanley News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley selected Dallas for a major expansion outside New York, signaling long-term investment in Texas, potential operating-cost advantages, and broader access to talent. The move could support growth and geographic diversification, although it may also attract political scrutiny. Morgan Stanley picks Dallas for expansion outside NYC
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s research highlighted a potential 38-gigawatt power shortfall for AI data centers, identifying industrial and infrastructure companies that could benefit. This reinforces the firm’s advisory and research relevance in the fast-growing AI infrastructure market. Morgan Stanley Says AI Data Centers Face a 38-Gigawatt Power Gap
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reportedly disclosed a 5.6% stake in IonQ, potentially providing upside if the quantum-computing investment appreciates. The position also demonstrates continued access to emerging-technology opportunities, though it is unlikely to materially affect Morgan Stanley’s earnings near term. Morgan Stanley Discloses 5.6% Stake in IonQ
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its gold outlook to above $5,000 per ounce by 2027, which may benefit commodities research, trading, and client activity. However, the forecast itself has limited direct impact on the company’s fundamentals. Morgan Stanley Forecasts Gold to Surpass $5,000 by 2027
• Negative Sentiment: A former advisor has accused Morgan Stanley of gender and disability discrimination, inappropriate pressure, confidentiality breaches, and denial of medical leave. The allegations are not adjudicated, but they create potential legal, compliance, and reputational risks. What Is Morgan Stanley Being Accused Of?
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank hired Richard Tory, described as Morgan Stanley’s leading Canadian banker. The departure could raise concerns about talent retention and competitive pressure in Morgan Stanley’s Canadian investment-banking operations. Scotiabank hires Morgan Stanley’s top Canada banker

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MS. Freedom Capital raised shares of Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $187.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Citigroup increased their target price on Morgan Stanley from $220.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on Morgan Stanley from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $224.75.

About Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1935 by Henry S. Morgan and Harold Stanley, the company provides a broad range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services to corporations, governments, institutions and individual investors. Leadership has been guided by a senior executive team and board of directors; James P. Gorman has served as the company’s chief executive and chairman in recent years.

The firm’s primary business activities are organized around three principal businesses: Institutional Securities, Wealth Management and Investment Management.