MS MORGAN STANLEY
Price Chart
Executive Summary
UBS double-upgraded Morgan Stanley from Neutral to Buy on April 7, 2026, with a $196 price target, down from $195. The stock currently trades at $211.93, implying a 7.5% downside to the new target. UBS has a 55% accuracy rate on 5,084 calls with a 4.6% average return, ranking as top tier among covering firms. Consensus is mixed: 18 Buy (8 Strong Buy, 10 Buy), 14 Hold, 0 Sell from 32 analysts. The mean target is $203.29, median $205, with a high of $230 and low of $165. UBS's $196 target sits below both the mean and median, making this a contrarian call from a high-accuracy firm. EPS revisions are positive: 18 upward revisions vs 1 downward for the current fiscal year, and 18 up vs 1 down for next year. Insider selling is notable: four executives sold over $5.5M in mid-April, including CFO Daniel Simkowitz ($2.78M) and COO Eric Grossman ($1.06M). Short interest is elevated at 62.6% of float. The next earnings report is due July 14, 2026. Bottom line: UBS's double upgrade is a bullish signal from a credible firm, but the target implies downside, and heavy insider selling plus high short interest create a conflicting picture. Traders should treat this as a cautious bullish call with significant headwinds.
Impact Score
Consensus & Targets
Of 32 analysts covering MS, 18 rate it Buy (8 Strong Buy, 10 Buy), 14 rate it Hold, and 0 rate it Sell. The consensus is tilted bullish but with a large hold contingent, indicating uncertainty.
The mean price target is $203.29, median $205, high $230, low $165. At $211.93, MS trades above the mean and median, implying a 4.1% downside to the mean. UBS's $196 target is below both the mean and median, making it one of the more bearish targets among Buy ratings.
Recent Analyst Activity
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-08 | Citigroup | maintain | Neutral | $194.00 |
| 2026-04-16 | Barclays | maintain | Overweight | $230.00 |
| 2026-04-16 | RBC Capital | reiterate | Sector Perform | $207.00 |
| 2026-04-16 | Citizens | reiterate | Market Perform | — |
| 2026-04-16 | Wells Fargo | maintain | Equal-Weight | $200.00 |
| 2026-04-16 | Keefe, Bruyette & Woods | maintain | Outperform | $218.00 |
| 2026-04-16 | Goldman Sachs | maintain | Neutral | $205.00 |
| 2026-04-16 | B of A Securities | maintain | Buy | $225.00 |
| 2026-04-07 | UBS | upgrade | Buy | $196.00 |
| 2026-04-06 | Evercore ISI Group | maintain | Outperform | $190.00 |
No upgrades or downgrades in the past 30 days. EPS revisions are positive: 18 upward revisions vs 1 downward for the current fiscal year, and 18 up vs 1 down for next year. Estimates are being revised higher, supporting the bullish case.
Firm Track Record — UBS
UBS accuracy: 55% on 5084 calls | avg return: 4.6%
Industry benchmark: mean 51% ± 11%. Top tier: ≥61% (mean + 1σ). Based on 15 firms with ≥5 scored calls.
| Firm | Accuracy | Calls | Avg Return | vs Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMO Capital | 100% | 3/3 | 16.6% | top tier |
| Jefferies | 100% | 3/3 | 18.4% | top tier |
| RBC Capital | 100% | 3/3 | 10.8% | top tier |
| JMP Securities | 100% | 5/5 | 18.1% | top tier |
| Evercore ISI Group | 86% | 6/7 | 8.9% | top tier |
| Goldman Sachs | 86% | 6/7 | 19.8% | top tier |
| Citigroup | 83% | 5/6 | 12.4% | top tier |
| Wells Fargo | 75% | 6/8 | 17.9% | top tier |
| HSBC | 75% | 3/4 | 9% | top tier |
| UBS | 75% | 3/4 | 6.1% | top tier |
UBS has a 55% accuracy rate on 5,084 calls with a 4.6% average return, ranking as top tier among covering firms. Top performers include BMO Capital (100% on 3 calls, 16.6% avg return), Jefferies (100% on 3, 18.4%), and RBC Capital (100% on 3, 10.8%). UBS's accuracy is solid but not elite, and its average return is below the top-tier average.
Earnings Estimates
Next earnings: Jul 14, 2026
| Period | EPS Est. | EPS Range | Revenue | Revisions (7d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0q | $2.76 | $2.48 — $3.02 | $19.1B | ↑2 ↓0 |
| 0y | $11.84 | $11.37 — $12.30 | $77.4B | ↑2 ↓0 |
| +1y | $12.69 | $11.34 — $13.59 | $81.1B | ↑3 ↓0 |
| +1q | $2.90 | $2.65 — $3.10 | $19.2B | ↑2 ↓0 |
Cross-Platform Signals
Insider selling is heavy: four executives sold over $5.5M in mid-April, including CFO Daniel Simkowitz ($2.78M) and COO Eric Grossman ($1.06M). This diverges from the bullish analyst signal. Institutional activity shows Norges Bank appearing as a new holder ($2.7B) and exiting, while Two Sigma Investments doubled its position. Short interest is elevated at 62.6% of float, indicating significant bearish positioning. No congressional trades reported.
Actionable Insight
UBS's double upgrade is a high-conviction call from a credible firm, but the target implies downside, and heavy insider selling plus high short interest create a conflicting picture. Traders should treat this as a cautious bullish call with significant headwinds.
Documents Analyzed
Report based on filing metadata.
Track record builds as more directional reports settle.
Filters
| Type | Now | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Jun 6, 2026
3d ago
|
ANALYST-UPGRADE
| $168.36 $189.21 | ▲ +12.38% | ▲ +2.60% | $212.24 (+26.07%) |
|
Jun 5, 2026
5d ago
|
Court Ruling
| $218.17 awaiting T+20 | awaiting T+20 | — | $212.24 (−2.72%) |
|
May 31, 2026
9d ago
|
ANALYST-UPGRADE
| $162.76 $179.44 | ▲ +10.25% | ▲ +7.39% | $212.24 (+30.40%) |
|
May 7, 2026
4w ago
|
ANALYST-UPGRADE
| $168.36 $189.21 | ▲ +12.38% | ▲ +2.60% | $212.24 (+26.07%) |
|
May 1, 2026
5w ago
|
ANALYST-UPGRADE
| $162.76 $179.44 | ▲ +10.25% | ▲ +7.39% | $212.24 (+30.40%) |
|
Apr 16, 2026
7w ago
|
Insider Cluster
| $186.67 $193.83 | ▲ +3.84% | ▼ −1.98% | $212.24 (+13.70%) |
|
Apr 16, 2026
7w ago
|
Insider Cluster
| $186.67 $193.83 | ▲ +3.84% | ▼ −1.98% | $212.24 (+13.70%) |
US Market Status
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