<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday after CICC Research raised their price target on the stock from $175.00 to $200.00. CICC Research currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley traded as high as $197.61 and last traded at $197.6130, with a volume of 2561899 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $189.58.</p><div><p><span></span><span>Get <strong>Morgan Stanley</strong> alerts:</span></p></div><ul><li>How Williams Companies Is Cashing in on the AI Power Boom</li></ul><p>Several other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Rothschild &amp; Co Redburn raised their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $171.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock a &#34;neutral&#34; rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Evercore raised their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an &#34;outperform&#34; rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. BNP Paribas Exane increased their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a &#34;neutral&#34; rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo &amp; Company increased their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $189.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an &#34;equal weight&#34; rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a &#34;hold&#34; rating to a &#34;buy&#34; rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. One investment analyst  has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued  a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Morgan Stanley  has an average rating of &#34;Moderate Buy&#34; and an average target price of $205.95.</p><p><b>Read Our Latest Stock Report on MS</b></p><h2>Insider Activity</h2><ul><li>Big Bank Earnings Gave Financials a Lift, But Wall Street Is Still Cautious</li></ul><p>In other news, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 11,118 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.75, for a total value of $2,120,758.50. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 169,403 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,313,622.25. This trade represents a 6.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 14,690 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.24, for a total transaction of $2,779,935.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 365,802 shares of the company's stock, valued at $69,224,370.48. This trade represents a 3.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 77,476 shares of company stock worth $14,644,762. Corporate insiders own  0.17% of the company's stock. </p><h2>Key Morgan Stanley News</h2><p>Here are the key news stories impacting Morgan Stanley this week:</p><ul>   <li><span>Positive Sentiment: </span>Morgan Stanley is one of the bankers lined up for OpenAI’s expected IPO, which could be a high-profile mandate and boost fee prospects if the listing goes ahead. <i></i><span>OpenAI readies IPO filing to list as soon as September</span></li>   <li><span>Positive Sentiment: </span>Morgan Stanley also reiterated a constructive view on several names and lifted price targets in recent coverage, reinforcing investor confidence in its research franchise and market positioning.</li>   <li><span>Neutral Sentiment: </span>News flow about the bank’s China-travel device restrictions is a risk-management measure rather than a business setback, so it is unlikely to be a major earnings driver by itself. <i></i><span>Morgan Stanley gives Hong Kong bankers restricted devices for China travel</span></li> </ul><h2>Hedge Funds Weigh In On Morgan Stanley</h2><ul><li>Stifel Financial: A Wealth Manager’s Stock for Wealth Investors</li></ul><p>Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Purpose Unlimited Inc. purchased a new position in  Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000.  Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of  Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000.  Olistico Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of  Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000.  Lodestone Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of  Morgan Stanley during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000.  Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in shares of  Morgan Stanley during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 84.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. </p><h2>Morgan Stanley Stock Performance</h2><p>The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $311.99 billion, a PE ratio of 17.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.22. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $176.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $175.35. </p><p>Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The financial services provider reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.41. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 14.65% and a return on equity of 17.70%. The firm had revenue of $20.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.23 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.60 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.0% compared to the same quarter last year.  As a group, equities research analysts forecast that  Morgan Stanley will post 11.85 EPS for the current year. </p><h2>Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend</h2><p>The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 30th were paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley's payout ratio is 36.23%. </p><h2>About Morgan Stanley</h2> (Get Free Report)<p>Morgan Stanley <span>NYSE: MS<span></span></span> 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.  </p><p>The firm's primary business activities are organized around three principal businesses: Institutional Securities, Wealth Management and Investment Management.</p><h2>Featured Articles</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Morgan Stanley</li><li>3 Space Infrastructure Stocks Gaining Momentum Ahead of the SpaceX IPO</li><li>The Great AI Rotation: Cashing In on Data</li><li>Mirum Pharma: A Rare Disease Growth Story to Watch</li><li>The Great Cloud Divide: How AI Is Reshuffling the Software Deck</li></ul><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Morgan Stanley Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Morgan Stanley, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Morgan Stanley wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Morgan Stanley currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

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<p>Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) reached a new 52-week high of $197.61 after CICC Research raised its price target from $175 to $200, maintaining an outperform rating. Other analysts also increased their targets, with an average target price of $205.95. Insider sales were reported, with significant shares sold by executives. The stock is viewed positively, with a strong buy rating from one analyst and a moderate buy average rating overall.</p>

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Stifel Financial

MORGAN STANLEY DEP SHS EA REP 1/1000 SHS NON CUM PFD O

MORGAN STANLEY DEP SHS REPSTG 1/1000TH PFD SER Q

MORGAN STANLEY DEP SHS REPS 1/1000 7.125% PFD E

MORGAN STANLEY NON-CUM DEP SH REP 1/1000 PFD SER I

MORGAN STANLEY 4.875 DEP SHS REP 1/1000 NCUM PFD SR L

MORGAN STANLEY 6.5%DEP SHS REPSTG 1/1000 NON CUM SER P

MORGAN STANLEY DEP SHS REPS 1/1000 PFD SER 'A'

MORGAN STANLEY DEP SHS REPR 1/1000TH INT PFD SER 'F' FX

MORGAN STANLEY DEP SHS REP 1/1000 NON-CUM PFD STK SER K

WELLS FARGO & COMPANY DP SHS REP 1/1000TH INT NCUM PFD CL A DD

WELLS FARGO & COMPANY 7.5% PERP CONV PRF CLS 'A' SERIES 'L'

WELLS FARGO & COMPANY DEP SHS REP 1/1000 INT PER PFD SER Y A

WELLS FARGO & COMPANY DP SHS REP 1/1000TH INT NCUM PFD CL A CC

WELLS FARGO & COMPANY 4.75% DEP SHS 1/1000 NCUM PFD CL A SR Z

WELLS FARGO & COMPANY DEP SHS REP 1/1000TH INT PFD SR AA (CLA)

STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP 6.125% DEP SHS REP 1/1000 NON CU PF SR C

Stifel Financial Pref Share SFB 5.2 10/15/47

STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP 6.25%NON CUM DEP SHS REP 1/1000TH SER B

STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP 4.50% DEP SHS REP 1/1000TH PREF SHS SR D

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Reaches New 12-Month High on Analyst Upgrade