AustralianSuper Pty Ltd Makes New $5.17 Million Investment in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)

AustralianSuper Pty Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 49,602 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $5,171,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Morgan Stanley in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC increased its position in Morgan Stanley by 1,147.6% in the 2nd quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 262 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 241 shares during the period. Bank & Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the second quarter valued at $26,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the third quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 84.19% of the company’s stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

NYSE MS opened at $116.23 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $106.72 and a 200-day moving average of $100.97. Morgan Stanley has a 52-week low of $70.27 and a 52-week high of $121.45. 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 company has a market capitalization of $188.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.36.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 31st will be given a $0.925 dividend. This represents a $3.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.18%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 31st. Morgan Stanley’s payout ratio is presently 56.32%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on MS shares. Hsbc Global Res upgraded Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 4th. HSBC upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $118.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, October 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Morgan Stanley from $106.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, Oppenheimer downgraded Morgan Stanley from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $109.24.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Stephen J. Luczo sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.17, for a total transaction of $7,150,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 138,363 shares in the company, valued at $16,488,718.71. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

About Morgan Stanley

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.