MS

- Morgan Stanley expects Apple to forecast low-to-mid single-digit year-over-year revenue growth for the December quarter. - The firm expects limited earnings-per-share upside with Apple stock near record highs - Apple reportedly said it will offer limited quantities of its foldable iPhone Duo to walk-in customers on Friday after online preorders sold out within minutes. Apple Inc. (AAPL) faces a "slightly challenging near-term setup" heading into earnings, according to Morgan Stanley, which expects limited upside to quarterly results and potentially softer-than-expected holiday-quarter guidance. The firm maintained its 'Overweight' rating and $355 price target, implying approximately 4.6% potential upside from Apple's Tuesday closing price of $339.50, according to a note cited by TheFly. See what 10M+ investors are talking about. Get the Stocktwits Daily Rip for what retail is watching right now, free to your inbox As of this writing, AAPL stock was trading 1% higher, pushing the company's market cap to above the $5 trillion mark once more. Morgan Stanley expects Apple to report September-quarter results broadly in line with expectations and forecast low-to-mid single-digit year-over-year revenue growth for the December quarter. That outlook would fall slightly below the firm's and Wall Street's estimates but align with expectations among institutional investors on the buy side. The firm also expects December-quarter iPhone revenue and gross margins to come in slightly below Street forecasts. With Apple shares trading near record highs and limited earnings-per-share (EPS) upside anticipated, Morgan Stanley said the upcoming results are unlikely to "tip the scales for bears or bulls." Apple's latest reported quarterly revenue rose 16% year over year to $109.4 billion, while gross margin reached 50.1%, including a roughly two-percentage-point benefit from tariff refunds. Separately, Apple said Wednesday that only limited quantities of its new foldable iPhone would be available to walk-in customers when the device launches on Friday, October 23, 2026. A Reuters report quoted Apple saying, "Apple Stores will ‌have ⁠limited iPhone Duo available for walk-in customers, and we're working hard to get this revolutionary new product into customers' hands as quickly as possible." Initial online preorders sold out within minutes, pushing delivery estimates for some customers into January 2027. According to 9to5Mac, Apple has also restricted purchases to two devices per customer across multiple markets. Loop Capital analyst Ananda Baruah downgraded Apple to 'Hold' from 'Buy' on Tuesday and cut its price target on the stock $330 from $370. The firm said Apple had reduced planned September- and December-quarter iPhone shipments by 10%, per TheFly. Apple is set to report fiscal fourth-quarter earnings on November 2, with investors focused on iPhone sales, profit margins and potential pressure from rising component costs. On Stocktwits, retail investors' sentiment around AAPL stock remained 'extremely bearish'. So far this year, AAPL shares have rallied over 26%, the best-performing stock among the Magnificent Seven. By comparison, the Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS), and the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT), which hold the stock, have risen around 11% and 29%, respectively, over the same period. See Also: AMD, QCOM Targets Raised While INTC, COHR Face Cuts — Susquehanna Sees 'Modest Upside' For Chip Earnings For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com Harshita Tyagi has no position in any of the stocks mentioned in this article. StockTwits' news team content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. For more, see our editorial policy. This article was originally published on StockTwits. Related: - FUN Stock Heads For 4th Week Of Loss: Analyst Sees 29% Downside Ahead Of Earnings As Mounting Debt, Weak Sales Loom - Nuclear Energy Analyst Roundup: Wall Street Weighs In On OKLO, SMR, CEG, VST, LEU Stocks - TSLA, SPCX Slip Overnight: Musk Reportedly Pushes Merger Before Trump's Exit — ARK Sees Tesla Holders '5x Better Off' By 2036

- With only 41% of reporting S&P 500 companies seeing gains post-earnings, high market expectations are making it harder for firms to impress investors this season. - Analysts at Morgan Stanley project earnings for key holdings like Western Digital, TeraWulf, and Williams to significantly beat Wall Street consensus estimates due to structural AI tailwinds. - Expanding power generation, high-performance computing data center leases, and surging demand for hard disk drives are serving as near-term growth catalysts. As the third-quarter corporate earnings season gathers momentum, Wall Street investors are tiptoeing around rising operational costs and spending uncertainty surrounding artificial intelligence stocks, as per Morgan Stanley. According to research from Morgan Stanley, meeting investor expectations has proven challenging during the initial leg of the reporting period. Among the roughly 10% of S&P 500 constituents that have released results so far, barely 41% experienced positive stock price reactions the following trading day. See what 10M+ investors are talking about. Get the Stocktwits Daily Rip for what retail is watching right now, free to your inbox Morgan Stanley analyst Michelle Weaver noted that the two weeks leading into reporting season historically mark a seasonal low before metrics rebound. Weaver highlighted that Wall Street estimates project corporate earnings growth of 33% in 2026 and 16% in 2027, with sales growth pegged at 11% and 8%, respectively. In light of these dynamics, Morgan Stanley identified 14 equities with imminent catalysts capable of driving major stock movements, CNBC reported. Twelve of the highlighted companies feature positive catalysts, whereas two carry downside exposure. Among the firm's top bullish conviction selections are Western Digital (WDC), TeraWulf (WULF), and Williams Companies (WMB). Data storage manufacturer Western Digital stands out as a prime long pick heading into its quarterly report. Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring projects that robust appetite for hard disk drives paired with firmer pricing will push the company's financial performance past consensus projections. Woodring's earnings forecast for the December quarter runs approximately 10% above general Wall Street expectations, with fiscal 2027 and 2028 estimates outpacing broader consensus by 15% to 40%. The investment bank maintains an Overweight rating on Western Digital, assigning a price target of $676 against its share price of $332.00. AI-infrastructure operator TeraWulf is slated to report its results on Nov. 6. Morgan Stanley analyst Stephen Byrd emphasized that TeraWulf is uniquely positioned to gain from the escalating energy demands of modern data centers. According to Byrd, public markets are currently discounting TeraWulf's high-performance computing leases, which Byrd estimates hold nearly double the per-share value currently priced into the stock. Morgan Stanley holds an 'Overweight' rating on TeraWulf with a $65 price target. Energy infrastructure provider Williams Companies Inc. is another top selection due to its role in AI-driven power consumption. Set to report earnings on Nov. 2, the firm is expected to capture significant upside from newly commissioned power initiatives. Analyst Robert Kad forecasts Williams will deliver roughly 16% annualized earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) growth through 2030, outpacing the company's own guidance of more than 11%. Morgan Stanley rates Williams as 'Overweight' with a price target of $103. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits was 'bullish' with 'high' message volumes on WULF stock, while was 'bearish' on WDC. WDC stock gained about 113% year-to-date, while WULF is up 11%. For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com. Shashank Nayar has no position in any of the stocks mentioned in this article. StockTwits' news team content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. For more, see our editorial policy. This article was originally published on StockTwits. Related: - FUN Stock Heads For 4th Week Of Loss: Analyst Sees 29% Downside Ahead Of Earnings As Mounting Debt, Weak Sales Loom - Nuclear Energy Analyst Roundup: Wall Street Weighs In On OKLO, SMR, CEG, VST, LEU Stocks - TSLA, SPCX Slip Overnight: Musk Reportedly Pushes Merger Before Trump's Exit — ARK Sees Tesla Holders '5x Better Off' By 2036

Morgan Stanley just reported Q3 2026 numbers that kept return on tangible common equity above 20% for a fifth straight quarter, yet the stock barely budged, up only 0.3% to about US$182. The headline story is simple: this was a profitability test, not a growth scare. Net income of US$4.8b and earnings per share a little above US$3 kept the margin story intact while the market reaction stayed almost indifferent. Love Morgan Stanley's 20% plus return on tangible common equity but concerned that the share price barely moved on the earnings print? Benchmark those results against a focused list of sturdier financial stocks in our list of solid balance sheet and fundamentals stocks (25 results). - Total Revenue (Q3 2026 vs. Q3 2025): US$20,190m vs. US$18,224m (up about 10.8%) - Net Income excl. Extra Items (Q3 2026 vs. Q3 2025): US$4,751m vs. US$4,450m (up about 6.8%) - Basic EPS (Q3 2026 vs. Q3 2025): US$3.02 vs. US$2.83 (up about 6.7%) - Return on Tangible Common Equity, ROTCE (Q3 2026 vs. Q3 2025): 22.6% vs. above 20% (remained comfortably above the 20% mark for a fifth straight quarter) Ask Charlie what AI risks Morgan Stanley sounded most worried about. The bullish story around Morgan Stanley hangs on core platforms converting scale into durable economics rather than just chasing markets. "According to this view, the key factor is that Morgan Stanley continues to turn its workplace stock-plan relationships, private markets platform, and AI-driven productivity tools into durable fee-based flows and high-20s to low-30s returns on tangible equity, without a material setback from reputational, regulatory, or product risks." Wealth Management delivered a 30.4% pretax margin and record US$9.1b revenue, helped by US$232b of net new assets and US$80b of fee-based flows. Firmwide ROTCE stayed at 22.6% for a fifth quarter, which keeps returns in the high 20s zip code on this metric. Parametric driven inflows and private-market assets above US$0.5t show the workplace and alternatives flywheel working, even if the share price reaction over the past month has been muted. One Narrative disagrees with today's price. → See where this Narrative says Morgan Stanley should trade. Bears argue that Morgan Stanley's fee engines will stall as clients shift to cheaper products and as deal integrations drag on profitability. "The accelerating migration of client assets away from actively managed funds towards passive and low-fee alternatives threatens to erode Morgan Stanley's core advisory and asset management fee pools, lowering future recurring revenues and compressing net margins as high-margin products lose share." Current results cut against that fear on flows but leave profitability questions open. Wealth Management just posted US$232b of net new assets and US$80b of fee-based inflows, plus long term Investment Management inflows. Yet the only modest share price move, down about 12% over 30 days, signals investors still doubt how much of that volume converts into lasting, high quality margins once integration and compliance costs fully show up. Morgan Stanley just showed how strong reported profitability can coexist with limited share price movement. The real opportunity sits in finding stocks that could be undervalued before the market corrects them. - Company 1 - 32% below our estimate - tightens operations and reshapes its portfolio so higher margin aftermarket and power projects carry more weight. - Company 2 - 31% below our estimate - pushes coconut based drinks into mainstream fridges while scaling private label supply for retailers. - Company 3 - 38% below our estimate - expands a recommerce platform that turns government backed trade in programs into higher quality device supply. Those are three of them. See all 32 potentially undervalued companies → This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include MS. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email [email protected]

US aerospace and defense companies' upcoming financial results are likely to reflect continued demand amid underlying fundamentals that are stronger than investor sentiment indicates, Morgan Stanley said in a note e-mailed Friday. Although sentiment toward aerospace and defense stocks has softened recently, resulting in sell-offs, the brokerage said demand is intact. Along with capacity constraints and pricing power, this suggests that both sectors remain poised for sustained growth for several years, Morgan Stanley said in the note to clients. "We remain bullish on aerospace and defense heading into (third-quarter) earnings, with underlying fundamentals stronger than investor sentiment suggests," the firm wrote. "Across both sectors, we believe supply-chain execution, rather than demand, remains the primary constraint on growth." Morgan Stanley sees attractive opportunities ahead of earnings, particularly in Howmet Aerospace (HWM), GE Aerospace (GE), and Northrop Grumman (NOC). Morgan Stanley added Howmet to its "top pick" list in the commercial aerospace sector, in which the brokerage is "firmly bullish," especially the aftermarket. Investors have overestimated downside risks to commercial aerospace demand from higher oil prices and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, according to the note. "We would use the recent pullback to add exposure to GE and (Howmet) ahead of (third-quarter) earnings, where we expect strong results and see a relatively low bar for positive surprises," Morgan Stanley said. Last month, GE agreed to acquire castings manufacturer Consolidated Precision Products in a deal worth $11.75 billion, as the aerospace giant looks to bolster its castings capacity amid a strong demand environment. Investor sentiment toward commercial aerospace original equipment manufacturers continues to be "more constructive" given improving deliveries and robust backlogs, Morgan Stanley said, adding that Boeing (BA) and Airbus aircraft deliveries rose 8% year over year through September. The firm said it favors "gaining exposure to the commercial OEM upcycle through suppliers," such as Howmet, RTX (RTX), and RBC Bearngs (RBC), and could turn "more constructive" on Hexcel (HXL) "as wide-body production gains momentum." Within defense, Morgan Stanley sees missile demand as "increasingly established," as investor focus shifts toward supply-chain readiness and the ability to execute on substantial production ramps. Recent long-term deals by Lockheed Martin (LMT), RTX and others offer "greater" visibility into visibility, the firm wrote. Morgan Stanley upgraded its rating on the shares of aerospace systems supplier Moog (MOG.A, MOG.B) to overweight from equal-weight and increased its price target to $448 from $405. "We think consensus is underestimating Moog's revenue and earnings growth potential into next year," the firm wrote. While the uncertainty surrounding fiscal 2027 US military spending and the November midterm elections are seen as "overhangs" for the defense industry, increasing missile demand and production commitments point to an "exceptionally strong demand environment," the firm wrote in the note.

- Interested in Morgan Stanley? Here are five stocks we like better. - Morgan Stanley shares fell 2.7% on Oct. 14 despite beating Q3 earnings expectations, reflecting investor skepticism similar to that seen with Citigroup. - Record wealth management revenue of roughly $9 billion and over $230 billion in net new client assets supported the bull case for steady, fee-based growth. - Analysts including TD Cowen and UBS maintain price targets of $210 and $236, respectively, both above the stock's post-earnings price of around $180. In what is shaping up to be a big week of bank earnings, Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) delivered its Q3 report on Oct. 14, comfortably beating analyst expectations on the headline numbers. However, as with Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) the day before, the market sold off the stock. Morgan Stanley shares fell 2.7% in the Oct. 14 session, leaving them at around $180, where they had begun the year after a 20% slide from July's high. For a headline beat, that is a chilly reception, and it points to a familiar tension in how the major banks are being judged this quarter. Like many of its peers in recent days, Morgan Stanley's results looked strong on the surface, but the underlying fundamentals gave investors reason to pause. → AMD's Support Could Help Fermi Stock Overcome Its Biggest Hurdle So just how good was the quarter beneath the headline, and what do the results say about where the stock goes next? The best of the quarter came from the part of Morgan Stanley that is supposed to be boring, and that may be the most reassuring thing in the whole report. Its wealth management arm pulled in record revenue of roughly $9 billion while gathering more than $230 billion of net new client money, much of it the fee-based flows that keep paying year after year. → Beyond the GPU: Credo Paves the Next AI Data Superhighway This is the heart of the bull case as we head into the final few months of the year. For a long time now, Morgan Stanley has been reshaping itself from being a cyclical trading house into a fee-driven wealth manager, and a quarter like this shows the strategy working. The more of its earnings that come from steady advisory and management fees, the less the wider business should be exposed to the market's changing moods. Look closer, though, and the quarter was less tidy than the headline, or solid wealth management results, suggested. A big slice of the strength came from equities trading, a notoriously fickle business that happened to boom last quarter, while fixed-income trading slipped and investment-banking fees barely grew. While it feels good when it lands like this, the snag is that a trading boom is the least reliable kind of beat there is, and can't be trusted to repeat itself. → Domino's Pizza: As Cheap As It Gets, Nowhere to Go But Up There were softer edges elsewhere, too. Profitability eased back from an unusually strong prior quarter, the firm tucked away more against potential loan losses, and a larger share of revenue went toward employee compensation. None of it was alarming, but together it made the beat look more cyclical, and less durable, than the top line implied. That's why a seemingly strong quarter still sent the shares lower. The market has no doubt that Morgan Stanley can beat when trading conditions are good; it just wants more proof that the wealth business can carry the load when trading inevitably cools. It will be some comfort, but perhaps not much, to investors that Morgan Stanley was far from alone in being sold after earnings. It's been a consistent theme, with equities desks and dealmaking running hot, fixed income running cold, ordinary lending holding steady, and the reserves that banks keep against bad loans edging up. And shares are selling off regardless of how strongly results beat expectations. For all the fuss, however, the longer-term case hasn't changed, and may even have strengthened. A record wealth management quarter and a flood of new client assets are exactly the kind of results the long-term bulls will have wanted to see, and with the stock back to flat for the year, much of the summer's froth has likely been shaken out. At the same time, the stock still holds a Moderate Buy consensus, and even the cautious voices see upside: TD Cowen reiterated a Hold last week with a $210 target, while UBS stuck with a Buy and a punchier $236. Both targets sit comfortably above the $180 where Morgan Stanley shares traded after their post-earnings drop, and suggest the market may have been too quick to mark down a quarter that was, underneath it all, rather good. The risk, as ever, is that the trading tailwind fades before the rest of the business can fully pick up the slack, and the stock isn't yet priced as if that will happen. But for investors willing to look through near-term uncertainty, Morgan Stanley just reminded them why its long-term story is worth backing. The article "Morgan Stanley Beats on Earnings, But Shares Fall on Trading Mix" was originally published by MarketBeat. View MarketBeat's top stocks for October 2026.

Morgan Stanley MS emphasized Wealth Management expansion, artificial intelligence-related financing opportunities and disciplined capital allocation during its third-quarter 2026 earnings call. Management highlighted the firm's integrated business model while acknowledging risks from elevated interest rates and geopolitical uncertainty. Chairman and CEO Ted Pick stressed that sustained client asset growth and broader institutional capabilities remain central to the firm's long-term strategy, even as market activity becomes less predictable. Morgan Stanley reported third-quarter earnings of $3.03 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.83. Earnings increased from $2.80 per share in the year-ago quarter. Revenues reached $20.34 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $19.74 billion. Revenues increased approximately 12% year over year. Morgan Stanley price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Morgan Stanley Quote The firm delivered a 22.6% return on tangible common equity, marking its fifth consecutive quarter above 20%. Pick attributed the performance to the strength of its integrated franchise. Chief financial officer Sharon Yeshaya highlighted record Wealth Management revenues of $9.1 billion and net new assets of $232 billion. IPO-related inflows contributed just over half of net new assets, while fee-based flows reached $80 billion. Yeshaya explained that IPO-related relationships can generate additional advisory opportunities beyond the initial transaction. During questioning from BMO Capital Markets, Yeshaya emphasized that employee stock plans, retirement mandates and asset consolidation support the firm's client acquisition strategy. She also noted that asset retention remained steady. Pick described artificial intelligence infrastructure investment as a major opportunity across advisory, financing and capital markets businesses. Responding to Wells Fargo Securities, Pick indicated that annual hyperscaler capital expenditures were running around $1 trillion. He acknowledged uncertainty surrounding future spending levels but emphasized Morgan Stanley's expanding involvement across the AI ecosystem. Management is increasing its strategic commitment to AI-related opportunities, including public and private financing solutions. Pick also stressed the importance of underwriting discipline as higher borrowing costs influence transaction structures. Yeshaya indicated that Wealth Management margins should expand over time as the business gains scale and converts additional clients into advisory relationships. Responding to Bank of America, she emphasized that management would prioritize multiyear investment rather than manage margins toward quarterly targets. The business generated a 30.4% pretax margin during the quarter. Continued spending on technology, marketing and banking capabilities supports management's strategy of expanding client relationships and improving operating leverage. Yeshaya expects Wealth Management net interest income to increase modestly in the fourth quarter, depending on interest rates and client behavior. During questioning from Jefferies, she also indicated that net interest income should expand in 2027, primarily supported by loan growth. The firm is strategically expanding its deposit base to strengthen funding capabilities. Yeshaya explained that benefits from transferring eligible assets into the bank should become more visible during 2027 rather than immediately. Institutional Securities generated $10 billion in revenues, supported by strong equities performance and increased advisory activity. Pick explained that investments in derivatives, prime brokerage and global execution capabilities have strengthened the equities franchise. However, he acknowledged that trading volumes remain sensitive to market sentiment. During questions from UBS, Pick cautioned that higher interest rates could constrain capital raising when financing economics become unfavorable. Management emphasized selective risk allocation rather than pursuing transaction volume indiscriminately. Management remains constructive on corporate financing activity, supported by active strategic discussions and diversified investment banking pipelines. Nevertheless, Pick emphasized that geopolitical developments, inflation pressures and elevated borrowing costs could influence investor behavior through year-end and into 2027. The firm intends to maintain financial flexibility, supported by its 14.9% standardized CET1 capital ratio and approximately 300 basis points of excess capital. Morgan Stanley currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating an unfavorable earnings estimate revision outlook. Its Value Score of D and Growth Score of F reflect weaker characteristics across those investment styles. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. The stock's Momentum Score of B indicates comparatively favorable price momentum characteristics. However, its VGM Score of F points to weak combined value, growth and momentum attributes. The combination of a Zacks Rank #4 and unfavorable composite Style Score indicates a less attractive near-term profile under the Zacks methodology. The Zacks Rank can change as analysts revise earnings estimates following the recently reported results. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Morgan Stanley (MS) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

- Price change for Morgan Stanley stock in last 6 months: -5% - $MS Stock Price as of Oct. 14: $182 - 52-Week High: $232 - $MS Stock Price Target: $222 Morgan Stanley (MS:NYSE) reported Q3 results that beat Wall Street estimates. - Earnings per share were $3.03, compared with the $2.91 analysts expected. - Revenue was $20.34 billion, above the $20.11 billion estimate. - Profit rose 6.5% to $4.91 billion, and revenue grew 12%. Stock trading drove the growth. Equities revenue jumped 41% to $5.8 billion, about $909 million above estimates. Other areas were weaker: - Investment banking: Revenue rose 2% to $2.16 billion, about $110 million short of estimates. - Advisory revenue grew, but equity underwriting fell because of fewer IPOs. - Fixed income: Revenue fell 7% to $2.01 billion, about $260 million below expectations. Wealth management had a record quarter with $9.1 billion in revenue as clients added $232 billion in new assets. Total client assets reached a record $10.5 trillion. The bank also posted a 22.6% return on tangible equity, the fifth straight quarter above 20%. The results were strong, but the market wasn't thrilled. Morgan Stanley stock slid about 3% on Wednesday. Wells Fargo analyst Mike Mayo called the quarter "good, but not great." Some business metrics improved more slowly than before. Misses in bonds and deal-making likely weighed on shares. CEO Ted Pick says two forces are shaping the economy. One is the AI build-out and the other is geopolitical conflict. He said activity slowed starting in early September. Worries about overseas conflict, inflation, and rising yields were the reasons. Pick told CNBC he hopes the positive story wins out. That depends on getting "some control over the geopolitics." He is "cautiously optimistic" about Q4. The balance sheet gives Morgan Stanley stock some cushion. The bank has about 300 basis points of excess capital. Its CET1 ratio was 14.9%. It also bought back $1.5 billion of its own shares in the quarter. On the call, Pick said investment banking pipelines remain high. For now, Morgan Stanley stock is caught between a strong quarter and a shaky backdrop. Investors will watch whether trading stays hot and whether deal activity picks up. Those two things will likely drive Morgan Stanley stock from here. TIKR lets you forecast the future price of any stock in less than a minute. Just enter a few assumptions into TIKR's valuation model and see what MS stock could be worth. Start from Wall Street consensus estimates, or adjust the inputs to reflect your own view of the business. It's free to use. Value Morgan Stanley for free→