Axxcess Wealth Management LLC Has $9.86 Million Stake in Morgan Stanley $MS

Axxcess Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 62,047 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,392 shares during the quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $9,863,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Morgan Stanley by 645.8% in the second quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 179 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 65.2% in the third quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. now owns 185 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC grew its position in Morgan Stanley by 91.9% during the 3rd quarter. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC now owns 213 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. 84.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Morgan Stanley Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:MS opened at $171.50 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The stock has a market cap of $272.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a 50 day moving average of $180.60 and a 200-day moving average of $165.70. Morgan Stanley has a one year low of $94.33 and a one year high of $192.68.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.28 by $0.40. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 14.09% and a return on equity of 16.92%. The firm had revenue of $17.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.69 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.22 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Morgan Stanley’s payout ratio is 39.18%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Morgan Stanley news, insider Michael A. Pizzi sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.55, for a total transaction of $3,691,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 127,872 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,598,777.60. This trade represents a 13.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Charles A. Smith sold 8,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.08, for a total value of $1,547,680.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 119,128 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,690,826.24. This trade represents a 6.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 129,191 shares of company stock valued at $23,736,506 in the last ninety days. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Morgan Stanley

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Morgan Stanley to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), signalling near‑term optimism from a well‑known independent screener and likely boosting buy‑side interest. Morgan Stanley (MS) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley research flagged a roughly $45B “hidden” cybersecurity opportunity — a high‑profile thematic call that showcases the firm’s research monetization and helps position MS as a go‑to advisor on secular tech spending trends. Morgan Stanley flags $45B hidden cybersecurity opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: MarketWatch highlighted Morgan Stanley strategy views (the “HALO” trade on hard assets), increasing the firm’s public profile and supporting investor perception of its macro/research franchise. That visibility can lift trading flows and fee outlooks. Why the ‘HALO’ trade boosting hard assets is no fluke, according to Morgan Stanley
• Neutral Sentiment: MS continues to be active in analyst coverage (e.g., adjusting price targets and opinions on names like Twilio and Alibaba). That keeps the firm in headlines and generates transaction/commission activity, but those headlines are stock‑specific rather than direct drivers of MS fundamentals. Morgan Stanley Reduces PT on Twilio Inc. (TWLO) Stock Morgan Stanley and Jefferies Stay Positive on Alibaba (BABA)
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors also reference Morgan Stanley’s January results (beat on EPS and revenue growth) as a baseline for current sentiment — a supportive but already‑priced factor. (See company filings/earnings commentary for details.)
• Negative Sentiment: Critical coverage on parts of MS’s business (e.g., commentary urging patience on direct‑lending initiatives) could dampen enthusiasm for certain fee streams or credit exposures and introduce near‑term headline risk. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending – Be Patient

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Barclays raised their target price on Morgan Stanley from $183.00 to $219.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $202.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $157.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $185.93.

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.