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 21 uncommon options trades for Morgan Stanley.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 42% bullish and 52%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 7 are puts, for a total amount of $825,985, and 14 are calls, for a total amount of $1,193,339.
Projected Price Targets
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $95.0 to $195.0 for Morgan Stanley over the recent three months.
Volume & Open Interest Development
Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Morgan Stanley's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Morgan Stanley's significant trades, within a strike price range of $95.0 to $195.0, over the past month.
Morgan Stanley Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview
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 | BULLISH | 12/19/25 | $3.2 | $2.99 | $3.15 | $175.00 | $472.5K | 971 | 1.5K |
| MS | PUT | SWEEP | BEARISH | 03/20/26 | $4.35 | $4.2 | $4.35 | $140.00 | $389.3K | 1.4K | 1.0K |
| MS | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 06/18/26 | $4.95 | $4.5 | $4.9 | $195.00 | $148.4K | 68 | 319 |
| MS | PUT | TRADE | BULLISH | 01/16/26 | $8.0 | $7.9 | $7.9 | $160.00 | $140.6K | 643 | 353 |
| MS | PUT | SWEEP | BEARISH | 01/16/26 | $2.35 | $2.3 | $2.3 | $140.00 | $119.8K | 3.2K | 538 |
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 great 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.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Morgan Stanley, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
Present Market Standing of Morgan Stanley
- With a volume of 4,762,817, the price of MS is up 0.21% at $162.99.
- RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.
- Next earnings are expected to be released in 91 days.
What The Experts Say On Morgan Stanley
5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $176.2.
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 BMO Capital has revised its rating downward to Outperform, adjusting the price target to $180. * Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Citigroup continues to hold a Neutral rating for Morgan Stanley, targeting a price of $170. * An analyst from Barclays has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on Morgan Stanley, which currently sits at a price target of $183. * An analyst from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods persists with their Outperform rating on Morgan Stanley, maintaining a target price of $184. * Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Goldman Sachs keeps a Neutral rating on Morgan Stanley with a target price of $164.
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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