A Closer Look at Morgan Stanley's Options Market Dynamics

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Morgan Stanley MS.

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.

Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with MS, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 8 uncommon options trades for Morgan Stanley.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 12% bullish and 87%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 2 are puts, for a total amount of $115,490, and 6 are calls, for a total amount of $341,396.

Predicted Price Range

Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $85.0 to $109.0 for Morgan Stanley over the last 3 months.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. 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 trades within a strike price range from $85.0 to $109.0 in the last 30 days.

Morgan Stanley 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot

Biggest Options Spotted:

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.

Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Morgan Stanley, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.

Current Position of Morgan Stanley

• Currently trading with a volume of 1,573,290, the MS's price is down by -0.42%, now at $102.04.
• RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching overbought.
• Anticipated earnings release is in 23 days.

What Analysts Are Saying About Morgan Stanley

A total of 1 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $105.0.

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. * In a cautious move, an analyst from Goldman Sachs downgraded its rating to Neutral, setting a price target of $105.

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.