Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bearish stance on Morgan Stanley.
Looking at options history for Morgan Stanley MS we detected 24 trades.
If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 12% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 62% with bearish.
From the overall spotted trades, 2 are puts, for a total amount of $77,411 and 22, calls, for a total amount of $2,712,485.
Projected Price Targets
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $80.0 to $145.0 for Morgan Stanley over the recent three months.
Analyzing Volume & Open Interest
Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.
This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Morgan Stanley's options for a given strike price.
Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Morgan Stanley's whale activity within a strike price range from $80.0 to $145.0 in the last 30 days.
Morgan Stanley 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot
Biggest Options Spotted:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 01/17/25 | $27.0 | $25.85 | $27.0 | $110.00 | $702.8K | 11.9K | 430 |
| MS | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/17/25 | $11.55 | $11.35 | $11.4 | $125.00 | $285.0K | 5.1K | 472 |
| MS | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 01/16/26 | $32.05 | $31.5 | $31.8 | $110.00 | $279.8K | 1.4K | 198 |
| MS | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 01/16/26 | $29.35 | $28.15 | $28.15 | $115.00 | $278.6K | 1.0K | 99 |
| MS | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 01/17/25 | $32.0 | $31.1 | $32.0 | $105.00 | $208.0K | 7.2K | 71 |
About Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a global investment bank whose history, through its legacy firms, can be traced back to 1924. The company has institutional securities, wealth management, and investment management segments with approximately 45% of net revenue from its institutional securities business, 45% from wealth management, and 10% from investment management. About 30% of its total revenue is from outside the Americas. The company had over $5 trillion of client assets as well as around 80,000 employees at the end of 2023.
After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Morgan Stanley, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.
Present Market Standing of Morgan Stanley
- Currently trading with a volume of 5,581,471, the MS's price is up by 1.41%, now at $137.73.
- RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be overbought.
- Anticipated earnings release is in 84 days.
Expert Opinions on Morgan Stanley
5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $142.4.
Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move
Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access. * An analyst from B of A Securities has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Morgan Stanley, which currently sits at a price target of $146. * An analyst from JP Morgan has decided to maintain their Neutral rating on Morgan Stanley, which currently sits at a price target of $108. * An analyst from Barclays persists with their Overweight rating on Morgan Stanley, maintaining a target price of $155. * An analyst from Evercore ISI Group has decided to maintain their Outperform rating on Morgan Stanley, which currently sits at a price target of $150. * Maintaining their stance, an analyst from B of A Securities continues to hold a Buy rating for Morgan Stanley, targeting a price of $153.
Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Morgan Stanley with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
