Key insights
- Morgan Stanley's Co-President, Daniel Simkowitz, sold $2.78 million in stock near its 52-week high. This coincides with strong Q1 2026 earnings, exceeding expectations, and positive analyst ratings. However, the insider selling and InvestingPro's assessment of slight overvaluation suggest a mildly bearish signal for the stock.
Daniel A. Simkowitz, Co-President of MORGAN STANLEY (NYSE:MS), sold 14,690 shares of common stock on April 17, 2026, for approximately $2.78 million. The sales occurred at prices ranging from $188.72 to $189.65. The timing coincides with the stock trading near its 52-week high of $194.59, following a remarkable 77.6% return over the past year.
According to a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Simkowitz also disposed of 8,000 shares of common stock.
Following the transaction, Simkowitz directly owns 365,802.079 shares of Morgan Stanley common stock. He also indirectly owns 1,805.331 shares through a 401(k) plan. According to InvestingPro analysis, the stock appears slightly overvalued at current levels. Investors seeking deeper insights can access Morgan Stanley’s comprehensive Pro Research Report, available for this and 1,400+ other US equities.
In other recent news, Morgan Stanley reported record earnings for the first quarter of 2026, with earnings per share (EPS) of $3.43, surpassing analysts’ expectations of $3.02 by 13.58%. The company’s revenue also exceeded predictions, reaching $20.58 billion against the anticipated $19.7 billion. UBS reiterated a Buy rating on Morgan Stanley, setting a price target of $196.00 following the strong earnings report. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target to $218 from $210, maintaining an Outperform rating due to continued revenue growth across Morgan Stanley’s core businesses.
The wealth management division generated total revenues slightly ahead of Street expectations, with a pre-tax margin of 30%. Morgan Stanley’s return on tangible common equity was reported at 27%, driven by the wealth management sector’s performance. Citizens reiterated a Market Perform rating, noting the company’s favorable positioning and improving key performance indicators in trading, investment banking, and Global Wealth Management. These developments reflect the company’s strong operational performance and positive outlook from analysts.
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