Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Morgan Stanley (NYSE: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 11 uncommon options trades for Morgan Stanley.
This isn’t normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 36% bullish and 45%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 2 are puts, for a total amount of $76,994, and 9 are calls, for a total amount of $960,110.
Projected Price Targets
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $75.0 to $190.0 for Morgan Stanley over the recent three months.
Analyzing 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 $75.0 to $190.0 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 | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/15/27 | $12.3 | $10.65 | $11.0 | $190.00 | $660.0K | 339 | 600 |
| MS | PUT | TRADE | BULLISH | 11/21/25 | $14.65 | $13.45 | $13.71 | $177.50 | $46.6K | 200 | 34 |
| MS | CALL | TRADE | NEUTRAL | 01/16/26 | $85.9 | $83.7 | $84.72 | $80.00 | $42.3K | 3.6K | 5 |
| MS | CALL | TRADE | NEUTRAL | 01/16/26 | $85.9 | $83.5 | $84.53 | $80.00 | $42.2K | 3.6K | 10 |
| MS | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/16/26 | $85.95 | $84.05 | $84.43 | $80.00 | $42.2K | 3.6K | 17 |
About Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a massive global financial services firm, with offices in 42 countries and more than 80,000 employees as of year-end 2024. The firm cut its teeth in investment banking and institutional trading, where it maintains a strong presence today, but generates the lion share of its income from wealth and asset management franchises, where it boasted $7.9 trillion in client assets at the end of its most recent fiscal year. After reincorporation as a bank holding company in the wake of the global financial crisis, Morgan Stanley also boasts a top 10 banking franchise by deposits, with nearly $400 billion in customer deposits, predominately attributable to cash sweeps from its wealth management and brokerage businesses.
Having examined the options trading patterns of Morgan Stanley, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance
Present Market Standing of Morgan Stanley
- Trading volume stands at 1,271,770, with MS’s price down by -1.06%, positioned at $163.51.
- RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought.
- Earnings announcement expected in 76 days.
Professional Analyst Ratings for Morgan Stanley
Over the past month, 5 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $169.8.
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 UBS has decided to maintain their Neutral rating on Morgan Stanley, which currently sits at a price target of $165.
* An analyst from Citigroup has decided to maintain their Neutral rating on Morgan Stanley, which currently sits at a price target of $170.
* Reflecting concerns, an analyst from BMO Capital lowers its rating to Outperform with a new price target of $180.
* Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from JP Morgan keeps a Neutral rating on Morgan Stanley with a target price of $157.
* Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Wells Fargo keeps a Equal-Weight rating on Morgan Stanley with a target price of $177.
Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Morgan Stanley options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.
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