Morgan Stanley Stock Price, News & Analysis

Morgan Stanley Investment Management has provided $125 million in senior debt financing to FreshBooks, a leading cloud-based accounting software provider for small businesses. The investment, managed by Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital and Morgan Stanley Private Credit, will refinance existing debt and support FreshBooks' growth initiatives.

Toronto-based FreshBooks offers SaaS software focused on service-based SMBs in the U.S. and Canadian markets. Their platform enables businesses to manage invoicing, payments, time tracking, and payroll processing. The company is positioned to benefit from key market trends including digital transformation and global e-invoicing adoption.

Morgan Stanley Investment Management has successfully raised $4.1 billion for its fourth global infrastructure fund, North Haven Infrastructure Partners IV (NHIP IV). The fund attracted major institutional infrastructure investors, including public and private pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and insurance companies.

NHIP IV is part of Morgan Stanley's $240 billion alternatives business and will focus on investments in transportation infrastructure, digital infrastructure, energy transition, and utilities. The fund aims to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns by investing in essential service assets with long useful lives and stable, inflation-linked cash flows.

Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) has launched its latest ETF, Eaton Vance High Income Municipal (EVYM), expanding its ETF platform to $4.7 billion in assets across 17 strategies. The new high-yield municipal strategy, listed on Nasdaq, marks MSIM's eighth active fixed income ETF.

EVYM aims to provide high current income exempt from regular federal income tax by investing at least 80% of its net assets in municipal obligations. The platform has attracted significant interest, with over $600 million in asset flows to fixed income ETFs since the start of the year.

MSIM's ETF platform, launched in early 2023, now comprises:

• 8 Eaton Vance-branded fixed income strategies
• 3 Parametric-branded equity- and options-based strategies
• 6 Calvert-branded ETFs

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) has announced that three of its top executives will speak at the upcoming Annual Morgan Stanley European Financials Conference in London, UK, on March 18, 2025.

Co-President Dan Simkowitz will present at 11:00 a.m. GMT (7:00 a.m. ET), while Clare Woodman, Head of EMEA, Latin America and Canada, and CEO of Morgan Stanley & Co. International, along with CFO Sharon Yeshaya, will participate in a fireside chat at 4:00 p.m. GMT (12:00 p.m. ET).

Both sessions will be available via webcast, with live and on-demand versions accessible through the Investor Relations section of Morgan Stanley's website. The global financial services firm currently maintains offices in 42 countries, offering investment banking, securities, wealth management, and investment management services to corporations, governments, institutions, and individuals worldwide.

Graystone Consulting, a Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) business, has been recognized as one of three firms designated as Best Investment Consultant for Institutional Investors in the U.S. by Crisil Coalition Greenwich. The recognition specifically acknowledges excellence in Service & Investment Counseling among Large Investment Consultants.

The award was based on extensive research conducted between February and September 2024, involving interviews with 699 individuals from 563 of the largest U.S. tax-exempt funds. The study included corporate, public, union, and endowment and foundation funds with pension or investment pool assets exceeding $150 million.

Additionally, Graystone has maintained the Greenwich Quality Leader designation in Overall U.S. Investment Consulting among large consultants for three consecutive years.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) has announced dividend declarations for multiple series of its preferred stock. The dividends include various rates and amounts across different series, ranging from $29.38 to $1,966.66 per share, with some having equivalent Depositary Share amounts.

Payment dates are structured in two groups: Series M and N dividends are payable on March 17, 2025, to stockholders of record as of February 28, 2025. For Series A, C, E, F, I, K, L, O, P, and Q, dividends are payable on April 15, 2025, to stockholders of record as of March 31, 2025.

E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley has secured top recognition in StockBrokers.com's 2025 Annual Awards, earning a perfect 5-star rating and maintaining its position as the #1 Web Trading Platform for the 13th consecutive year. The company received 15 'Best in Class' distinctions, including achievements in mobile trading apps, research, education, and platforms & tools.

Notable platform enhancements include improved charting capabilities on etrade.com, featuring customizable tools and new technical analysis studies, an expanded Bond Resource Center with enhanced features, and improved mobile functionality through the Power E*TRADE app. The platform received praise for its professional-grade research, innovative tools, and seamless trading experience, with StockBrokers.com's evaluation covering 16 online brokers across more than 200 variables in seven key categories.

Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) has released its 12th annual State of the States Report, revealing a slowdown in state revenue growth following two years of pandemic-stimulated expansion. The report indicates a stable credit outlook for most states, despite planned budget cuts of approximately 6% in the next fiscal year.

Key findings show state debt remains generally low, with rainy day fund balances at all-time highs - median state at 13% of expenditures in 2024, projected to reach 15% in 2025. However, five states have lower reserves than in 2007. While debt and unfunded pension burdens have declined due to GDP growth and reforms, pension liabilities remain substantial. Medicaid costs significantly impact state budgets, particularly affecting Colorado, Missouri, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Kentucky.

The report notes that only 25% of states have better-funded pensions compared to 2018, potentially limiting flexibility for other spending. Puerto Rico stands as an outlier with a 59% liabilities-to-GDP ratio, nearly double that of any other state.

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is set to host its 16th annual Go Red Women's Leadership event, returning to an in-person format for the first time since 2020. The event, scheduled for February 7 at 8:00 a.m. EST at Morgan Stanley's Purchase, NY offices, will be held in collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA) – Westchester and Fairfield Counties.

The event will feature a 'Heart-to-Heart' conversation with Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress Christine Baranski, interviewed by Caroline N. Gundeck, Head of UHNW Client and Field Engagement. The program includes a heart-healthy breakfast and special remarks from industry leaders, highlighting the ongoing fight against heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death among women in the U.S.

This initiative is part of Morgan Stanley's continued support of the Go Red for Women® campaign, which aims to celebrate women's influence and strength in combating cardiovascular diseases. The AHA, founded in 1924, continues its mission to build healthier lives through research, education, and advocacy.