<p>Financial giants have made a conspicuous bullish move on Morgan Stanley. Our analysis of options history for Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) revealed 10 unusual trades.</p>
<p>Delving into the details, we found 40% of traders were bullish, while 40% showed bearish tendencies. Out of all the trades we spotted, 3 were puts, with a value of $212,952, and 7 were calls, valued at $339,666.</p>
<h3>Expected Price Movements</h3>
<p>Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $140.0 to $185.0 for Morgan Stanley over the recent three months. </p>
<h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
<p>Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Morgan Stanley's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Morgan Stanley's whale trades within a strike price range from $140.0 to $185.0 in the last 30 days. </p>
<h3>Morgan Stanley 30-Day Option Volume &amp; Interest Snapshot</h3>
<p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1767207670_0.png?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Options Call Chart" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1767207670_0.png"/></p>

<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</h3>
<p></p><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th><strong>Symbol</strong></th>
<th><strong>PUT/CALL</strong></th>
<th><strong>Trade Type</strong></th>
<th><strong>Sentiment</strong></th>
<th><strong>Exp. Date</strong></th>
<th><strong>Ask</strong></th>
<th><strong>Bid</strong></th>
<th><strong>Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Strike Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Total Trade Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Open Interest</strong></th>
<th align="right"><strong>Volume</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>MS</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$40.55</td>
<td>$37.85</td>
<td>$38.71</td>
<td>$140.00</td>
<td>$154.8K</td>
<td>4.6K</td>
<td align="right">40</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MS</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>09/18/26</td>
<td>$7.9</td>
<td>$7.6</td>
<td>$7.74</td>
<td>$155.00</td>
<td>$77.5K</td>
<td>273</td>
<td align="right">101</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MS</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/18/26</td>
<td>$7.9</td>
<td>$7.65</td>
<td>$7.72</td>
<td>$155.00</td>
<td>$77.3K</td>
<td>273</td>
<td align="right">201</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MS</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/18/26</td>
<td>$7.9</td>
<td>$7.65</td>
<td>$7.73</td>
<td>$155.00</td>
<td>$58.1K</td>
<td>273</td>
<td align="right">276</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MS</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>04/17/26</td>
<td>$7.85</td>
<td>$7.8</td>
<td>$7.85</td>
<td>$185.00</td>
<td>$33.7K</td>
<td>261</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><p></p>
<h3>About Morgan Stanley</h3>
<p>Morgan Stanley is a massive global financial services firm, with offices in 42 countries and more than 80,000 employees as of year-end 2024. The firm cut its teeth in investment banking and institutional trading, where it maintains a strong presence today, but generates the lion share of its income from wealth and asset management franchises, where it boasted $7.9 trillion in client assets at the end of its most recent fiscal year. After reincorporation as a bank holding company in the wake of the global financial crisis, Morgan Stanley also boasts a top 10 banking franchise by deposits, with nearly $400 billion in customer deposits, predominately attributable to cash sweeps from its wealth management and brokerage businesses.</p>
<p>Having examined the options trading patterns of Morgan Stanley, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance</p>
<h3>Where Is Morgan Stanley Standing Right Now?</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 1,125,755, with MS's price down by -0.32%, positioned at $178.51.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 15 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for Morgan Stanley</h3>
<p>In the last month, 1 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $202.0.</p>
<p><strong>Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move</strong></p>
<p>Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access.
* An analyst from Keefe, Bruyette &amp; Woods has decided to maintain their Outperform rating on Morgan Stanley, which currently sits at a price target of $202. </p>
<p>Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Morgan Stanley with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.</p>

<p>Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) has seen significant bullish activity in options trading, with 40% of traders bullish and 40% bearish. Notably, 3 put trades valued at $212,952 and 7 call trades valued at $339,666 were observed. Investors are targeting a price range of $140.0 to $185.0 over the next three months. Current trading volume is 1,125,755, with the stock priced at $178.51, down 0.32%. An analyst maintains an Outperform rating with a target price of $202. Earnings announcement is expected in 15 days.</p>

Morgan Stanley's Options Frenzy: What You Need to Know