Decoding Morgan Stanley's Options Activity: What's the Big Picture? - Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)

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 positions 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.

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 12 options trades for Morgan Stanley.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 33% bullish and 58%, bearish.

Out of all of the options we uncovered, there was 1 put, for a total amount of $36,673, and 11, calls, for a total amount of $828,809.

Predicted Price Range

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $90.0 to $130.0 for Morgan Stanley over the recent three months.

Volume & Open Interest Trends

In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of Morgan Stanley stands at 1479.67, with a total volume reaching 2,576.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Morgan Stanley, situated within the strike price corridor from $90.0 to $130.0, throughout the last 30 days.

Morgan Stanley Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview

Significant Options Trades Detected:

Symbol	PUT/CALL	Trade Type	Sentiment	Exp. Date	Ask	Bid	Price	Strike Price	Total Trade Price	Open Interest	Volume
MS	CALL	TRADE	BEARISH	05/23/25	$2.4	$2.34	$2.34	$120.00	$187.2K	194	805
MS	CALL	SWEEP	BEARISH	09/19/25	$13.6	$13.4	$13.4	$110.00	$142.0K	893	107
MS	CALL	TRADE	BEARISH	12/19/25	$6.15	$6.0	$6.04	$130.00	$120.1K	1.0K	201
MS	CALL	TRADE	BULLISH	09/19/25	$7.8	$7.65	$7.75	$120.00	$103.0K	1.9K	327
MS	CALL	TRADE	BEARISH	10/17/25	$4.9	$4.75	$4.8	$130.00	$72.0K	435	156

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 24% of its total revenue is from outside the Americas. The company had over $6 trillion of client assets as well as around 70,000 employees at the end of 2024.

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

With a volume of 3,887,852, the price of MS is up 0.44% at $116.11.
RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.
Next earnings are expected to be released in 82 days.

What Analysts Are Saying About Morgan Stanley

A total of 5 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $128.2.

Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days?

20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. Click here for access. * Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Wells Fargo continues to hold a Equal-Weight rating for Morgan Stanley, targeting a price of $130. * An analyst from JP Morgan has decided to maintain their Neutral rating on Morgan Stanley, which currently sits at a price target of $122. * Maintaining their stance, an analyst from B of A Securities continues to hold a Buy rating for Morgan Stanley, targeting a price of $144. * Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from JP Morgan keeps a Neutral rating on Morgan Stanley with a target price of $125. * An analyst from Wells Fargo persists with their Equal-Weight rating on Morgan Stanley, maintaining a target price of $120.

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.

MSMorgan Stanley

$193.07-0.75%

Overview

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