Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) was in 49 hedge funds’ portfolio at the end of December. MS has experienced a decrease in activity from the world’s largest hedge funds in recent months. There were 52 hedge funds in our database with MS positions at the end of the previous quarter.
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Keeping this in mind, it’s important to take a peek at the recent action regarding Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS).
What have hedge funds been doing with Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)?
In preparation for this year, a total of 49 of the hedge funds we track were bullish in this stock, a change of -6% from the previous quarter. With hedgies’ positions undergoing their usual ebb and flow, there exists a select group of noteworthy hedge fund managers who were increasing their stakes substantially.
When looking at the hedgies we track, Boykin Curry’s Eagle Capital Management had the largest position in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), worth close to $532 million billion, accounting for 3.8% of its total 13F portfolio. On Eagle Capital Management’s heels is Ken Griffin of Citadel Investment Group, with a $288 million position; 2.7% of its 13F portfolio is allocated to the stock. Remaining hedge funds that hold long positions include Ken Heebner’s Capital Growth Management, Richard S. Pzena’s Pzena Investment Management and Dan Loeb’s Third Point.
Seeing as Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) has experienced bearish sentiment from the smart money, it’s easy to see that there were a few fund managers that decided to sell off their full holdings at the end of the year. It’s worth mentioning that Jonathon Jacobson’s Highfields Capital Management dumped the biggest stake of the “upper crust” of funds we watch, totaling about $84 million in stock.. Richard Perry’s fund, Perry Capital, also sold off its stock, about $75 million worth. These transactions are important to note, as total hedge fund interest was cut by 3 funds at the end of the year.
How are insiders trading Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)?
Bullish insider trading is at its handiest when the primary stock in question has seen transactions within the past half-year. Over the last 180-day time period, Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) has seen zero unique insiders buying, and 4 insider sales (see the details of insider trades here).
With the returns demonstrated by our research, everyday investors should always pay attention to hedge fund and insider trading activity, and Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) is no exception.
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