Barclays Ups Price Forecast for Morgan Stanley Stock

On Friday, Barclays announced it has raised its target price for Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) from $155.00 to $156.00. This adjustment was detailed in a note directed at investors, with Barclays giving the financial services firm's stock an "overweight" rating. The updated price target implies a potential growth of 13.07% compared to the stock's current trading price.

Analyst Ratings Overview

Other financial analysts have also revisited their predictions for Morgan Stanley's stock lately. Bank of America increased its target from $146.00 to $153.00, supporting a "buy" rating for the stock in their report released the same day. Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase raised its price target from $104.00 to $108.00, assigning a "neutral" rating just days earlier. Jefferies Financial Group has predicted a price target increase from $120.00 to $135.00, also giving it a "buy" rating. On the other hand, Goldman Sachs has lifted their target from $106.00 to $121.00, maintaining a "neutral" viewpoint. In contrast, HSBC has downgraded its rating from "buy" to "hold" while increasing their price target for the stock from $128.00 to $131.00. Across the board, eleven research analysts have recommended a hold on the shares, while six have issued buy ratings, according to information compiled by MarketBeat.com. Presently, Morgan Stanley has a consensus rating categorized as "Hold" with an average target price around $129.40.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

As of midday trading on Friday, shares of Morgan Stanley experienced an increase of 1.6%, climbing $2.16 to reach $137.97. In terms of market activity, the stock saw a volume of 5,476,493 shares compared to the average of 7,533,267 shares. It is important to note that the stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $128.74, alongside a 200-day average of $113.15. Current financial indicators show a market capitalization of $222.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.98, a PEG ratio of 0.97, and a beta of 1.36. The stock's performance over the past year also indicates a low of $83.09 and a high of $137.79.

Financial Results Highlight

Morgan Stanley last reported its quarterly earnings results on October 16th. The firm disclosed an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.88, which surpassed analysts' expectations of $1.57 by $0.31. The total revenue for the quarter reached $15.38 billion, significantly higher than the anticipated $14.27 billion. Additionally, the company's net margin stood at 10.64%, and it achieved a return on equity of 12.58%. Analysts are projecting earnings per share of approximately $7.39 for the current fiscal year.

Investment Activity and Institutional Ownership

Several institutional investors have re-evaluated their investments in Morgan Stanley recently. Peoples Bank KS made a new investment in the company valued at $25,000 during the fourth quarter. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC initiated a position in Morgan Stanley in the third quarter, with a valuation close to $26,000. Furthermore, Rakuten Securities Inc. notably increased its stake in Morgan Stanley by 138.1% in the same quarter, owning 300 shares valued at $31,000 after adding 174 shares. Planning Capital Management Corp also expanded its ownership by 115.1% during the third quarter, bringing their total to 357 shares valued at $37,000. Currently, around 84.19% of Morgan Stanley's shares are owned by institutional investors.

Company Overview

Morgan Stanley operates as a financial holding company, offering a range of financial products and services to various clients including corporations, governments, other financial institutions, and individuals. Its business is segmented into Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management.

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