Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Shares Sold by Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADV

Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADV lowered its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 0.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 74,960 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 699 shares during the period. Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADV’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $7,814,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. American National Bank & Trust Co. VA acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the 1st quarter worth about $402,000. FORVIS Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Morgan Stanley by 39.2% during the first quarter. FORVIS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,118 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $482,000 after buying an additional 1,442 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 2.6% in the first quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 26,328 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,479,000 after buying an additional 669 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 22.7% in the 1st quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 34,454 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,244,000 after acquiring an additional 6,370 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norden Group LLC lifted its position in Morgan Stanley by 52.9% during the first quarter. Norden Group LLC now owns 8,621 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $812,000 after buying an additional 2,981 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.19% of the company’s stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of MS opened at $117.94 on Thursday. Morgan Stanley has a 52 week low of $70.27 and a 52 week high of $121.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $191.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.95, a PEG ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.36. 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 stock has a fifty day moving average of $106.40 and a 200-day moving average of $100.86.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.925 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 31st. This represents a $3.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.14%. Morgan Stanley’s payout ratio is currently 56.32%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Stephen J. Luczo sold 60,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.17, for a total value of $7,150,200.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 138,363 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,488,718.71. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Oppenheimer lowered Morgan Stanley from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Morgan Stanley from $95.00 to $107.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Morgan Stanley from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $98.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $109.24.

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.