Fintel reports that on September 26, 2023, Oppenheimer maintained coverage of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) with a Outperform recommendation.
Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 20.27% Upside
As of August 31, 2023, the average one-year price target for Morgan Stanley is 99.86. The forecasts range from a low of 80.80 to a high of $117.60. The average price target represents an increase of 20.27% from its latest reported closing price of 83.03.
See our leaderboard of companies with the largest price target upside.
The projected annual revenue for Morgan Stanley is 57,800MM, an increase of 8.66%. The projected annual non-GAAP EPS is 7.69.
Morgan Stanley Declares $0.85 Dividend
On July 18, 2023 the company declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share ($3.40 annualized). Shareholders of record as of July 31, 2023 received the payment on August 15, 2023. Previously, the company paid $0.78 per share.
At the current share price of $83.03 / share, the stock's dividend yield is 4.09%.
Looking back five years and taking a sample every week, the average dividend yield has been 2.97%, the lowest has been 1.50%, and the highest has been 5.03%. The standard deviation of yields is 0.62 (n=236).
The current dividend yield is 1.80 standard deviations above the historical average.
Additionally, the company's dividend payout ratio is 0.59. The payout ratio tells us how much of a company's income is paid out in dividends. A payout ratio of one (1.0) means 100% of the company's income is paid in a dividend. A payout ratio greater than one means the company is dipping into savings in order to maintain its dividend - not a healthy situation. Companies with few growth prospects are expected to pay out most of their income in dividends, which typically means a payout ratio between 0.5 and 1.0. Companies with good growth prospects are expected to retain some earnings in order to invest in those growth prospects, which translates to a payout ratio of zero to 0.5.
The company's 3-Year dividend growth rate is 1.43%, demonstrating that it has increased its dividend over time.
What is the Fund Sentiment?
There are 2875 funds or institutions reporting positions in Morgan Stanley. This is a decrease of 76 owner(s) or 2.58% in the last quarter. Average portfolio weight of all funds dedicated to MS is 0.42%, a decrease of 6.85%. Total shares owned by institutions decreased in the last three months by 2.95% to 1,587,159K shares. 
The put/call ratio of MS is 1.14, indicating a bearish outlook.
What are Other Shareholders Doing?
Mitsubishi Ufj Financial Group holds 377,085K shares representing 21.59% ownership of the company. No change in the last quarter.
Jpmorgan Chase holds 49,811K shares representing 2.85% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 48,285K shares, representing an increase of 3.06%. The firm increased its portfolio allocation in MS by 612.81% over the last quarter.
VTSMX - Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Investor Shares holds 39,040K shares representing 2.24% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 39,248K shares, representing a decrease of 0.53%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in MS by 10.73% over the last quarter.
Wellington Management Group Llp holds 36,263K shares representing 2.08% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 46,907K shares, representing a decrease of 29.35%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in MS by 28.24% over the last quarter.
VFINX - Vanguard 500 Index Fund Investor Shares holds 31,019K shares representing 1.78% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 30,488K shares, representing an increase of 1.71%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in MS by 10.37% over the last quarter.
Morgan Stanley Background Information
(This description is provided by the company.)
Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in more than 41 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals.
Fintel is one of the most comprehensive investing research platforms available to individual investors, traders, financial advisors, and small hedge funds.
Our data covers the world, and includes fundamentals, analyst reports, ownership data and fund sentiment, options sentiment, insider trading, options flow, unusual options trades, and much more. Additionally, our exclusive stock picks are powered by advanced, backtested quantitative models for improved profits.
This story originally appeared on Fintel.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
