Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) stock reached a new all-time high, hitting 147.29 USD. It has risen 17% YTD.

The financial giant, now commanding a market capitalization of $235 billion, offers investors a steady 2.78% dividend yield, having raised its dividends for 11 consecutive years. According to InvestingPro analysis, the stock is currently fairly valued. The financial services giant has shown resilience and growth, driven by strategic initiatives and favorable market conditions, with revenue growing 16.92% and trading at a reasonable P/E ratio of 16.1x. As investors continue to show confidence in Morgan Stanley’s capabilities, the stock’s performance highlights the firm’s solid positioning within the financial sector. InvestingPro has identified 12 additional investment tips for Morgan Stanley, available to subscribers along with comprehensive valuation analysis in the Pro Research Report.

In other recent news, IntraFi has successfully secured over $2 billion through the leveraged loan market, with the debt package arranged by a banking consortium led by Morgan Stanley. This financial maneuver allows IntraFi to distribute dividends to its private equity owners and refinance a portion of its higher-risk debt. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley reported second-quarter earnings per share of $2.13, marking a 17% increase from the previous year but an 18% decrease from the previous quarter. These results surpassed the FactSet consensus estimate by 7.5%.

In analyst updates, Freedom Broker downgraded Morgan Stanley’s stock rating from Buy to Hold, maintaining a price target of $126 per share. Conversely, Evercore ISI raised its price target for Morgan Stanley to $150 from $146, maintaining an Outperform rating, citing strong performances in Wealth Management and Investment Management. Citizens JMP reiterated a Market Perform rating for Morgan Stanley, noting the company’s potential to consolidate market share despite challenging conditions. Additionally, Morgan Stanley has hired Ashish Kumbhat from Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) to co-lead its bank advisory group, joining in the fall.