Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) Hits New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $182.00 and last traded at $181.72, with a volume of 2603652 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $179.50.

Key Morgan Stanley News

Here are the key news stories impacting Morgan Stanley this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Improving M&A outlook: analysts expect a rebound in deal activity next year, which would directly boost Morgan Stanley’s investment banking and advisory fees. M&As Are Heating Up: 3 Investment Bank Stocks to Benefit in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s research flow and trade desk visibility: MS published sector/top-stock calls (chip-sector picks such as NVDA/AVGO/ALAB) that reinforce its role in driving institutional flows and trading revenue. Morgan Stanley Picks NVDA, AVGO, and ALAB as Top Chip Stocks for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Asset-management governance step: Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund named a new compliance chief — an operational/governance move that can help preserve asset-management fund flows and reduce regulatory/operational risk. Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund Names New Compliance Chief
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley appears on lists and comparisons that highlight its yield and IB positioning — these third‑party writeups (e.g., Zacks comparing GS vs MS and inclusion in high‑yield S&P lists) can attract investor attention but are not immediate catalysts. GS or MS: Which IB Stock Should You Buy on Solid 2026 Prospects?
• Neutral Sentiment: Media notes Morgan Stanley analysts adjusting coverage (downgrades/price‑target changes on other names); that’s standard research activity — it signals active franchise but doesn’t directly change MS fundamentals. Morgan Stanley Downgrades Enterprise Products (EPD) as Growth Story Fades
• Negative Sentiment: Selective/defensive analyst posture in some sectors (example: Morgan Stanley analyst cut on CDW) could reflect caution about IT hardware spending — if representative of broader risk‑off, it may modestly weigh on trading volumes or underwriting appetite. CDW Price Target Reduced as Morgan Stanley Analyst Turns More Selective on IT Hardware Exposure

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on MS. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on Morgan Stanley in a report on Friday, October 3rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $180.00 price objective on the stock. Dbs Bank upgraded Morgan Stanley to a “moderate buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $145.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Morgan Stanley has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $174.77.

Morgan Stanley Stock Up 0.7%

The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27. The company has a market capitalization of $287.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.55, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.22. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $167.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is $153.75.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.73. Morgan Stanley had a return on equity of 16.40% and a net margin of 13.85%.The business had revenue of $17.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.42 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.88 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st were paid a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. Morgan Stanley’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.03%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Edward Pick sold 100,000 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.34, for a total transaction of $16,434,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 574,986 shares in the company, valued at $94,493,199.24. The trade was a 14.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Morgan Stanley

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of MS. Angeles Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Morgan Stanley by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,843 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $929,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. boosted its position in Morgan Stanley by 2.1% during the third quarter. Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. now owns 3,120 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $496,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC grew its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 2.5% during the third quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 2,616 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $416,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Cadence Bank raised its position in shares of Morgan Stanley by 3.0% in the third quarter. Cadence Bank now owns 2,183 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $347,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Finally, Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 0.5% in the third quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 13,222 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,102,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. 84.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Morgan Stanley Company Profile

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) 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.

The firm’s primary business activities are organized around three principal businesses: Institutional Securities, Wealth Management and Investment Management.