Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Shares Bought by Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado

Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado grew its holdings in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) by 37.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,780,745 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 486,165 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley makes up 0.9% of Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado’s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $223,875,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 22.5% in the fourth quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC now owns 3,008 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $378,000 after buying an additional 553 shares in the last quarter. Oxford Asset Management LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at $485,000. Bolthouse Investments LLC acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter worth about $476,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 42.2% during the 4th quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,918 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $267,000 after acquiring an additional 569 shares during the period. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

Shares of MS stock opened at $115.98 on Friday. Morgan Stanley has a 1 year low of $90.55 and a 1 year high of $142.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.14, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market cap of $187.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.61, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.30. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $116.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $124.61.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last announced its earnings results on Friday, April 11th. The financial services provider reported $2.60 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.39. The business had revenue of $17.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.81 billion. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 12.48% and a return on equity of 14.39%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.02 EPS. Analysts predict that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.925 per share. This represents a $3.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.19%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio is currently 43.43%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MS has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $155.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $144.00 to $126.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $130.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Erste Group Bank lowered Morgan Stanley from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Morgan Stanley from $138.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $130.50.

Insider Activity at Morgan Stanley

In other Morgan Stanley news, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 10,068 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.65, for a total value of $1,124,092.20. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 199,274 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,248,942.10. This trade represents a 4.81 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.