Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) continues its impressive performance, extending its winning streak to seven consecutive sessions. The financial giant has reported strong quarterly results, bolstered by a credit benefit, rebounding investment banking activity, and increasing wealth management revenue. Analysts have lauded MS’s Q1 performance, with 15 out of 20 S&P 500 financial stocks delivering earnings per share (EPS) gains. The company has maintained its quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Morgan Stanley is planning to restructure its operations, potentially cutting approximately 50 investment-banking staffers in the Asia-Pacific region due to challenging market conditions. Despite appearing overvalued based on its price-to-earnings (PE) and PEG ratios, analysts and investors remain optimistic about MS’s growth prospects. Seeking Alpha author Daniel Urbina believes that higher expected IPO and M&A activities justify a “buy” rating for the stock. Both Seeking Alpha analysts and sell-side analysts have assigned “buy” ratings to MS. However, SA’s Quant Rating system has graded MS as “Hold” with a score of 3.42 on a scale of 5. Despite the rating system’s concerns regarding valuation, growth, and momentum, the overall sentiment towards Morgan Stanley remains positive.
Morgan Stanley Extends Gains, Boosted by Q1 Results and Restructuring Plans
