LaToya Harding writes:
Morgan Stanley (MS) jumped nearly 6% on Thursday and rose again in pre-market trading on Friday after reporting upbeat fourth-quarter results, which exceeded Wall Street expectations on the back of strong revenue from wealth management.
Fourth-quarter net income rose to $4.40bn, or $2.68 per share, from $3.71bn, or $2.22 per share, a year ago. Revenue increased to $17.89bn from $16.22bn a year ago.
The wealth management unit posted $8.4bn in net revenue in the most recent quarter, up from $7.5bn a year earlier. For the full year, the division generated a record $31.8bn in net revenue.
Total client assets in the wealth and investment management business climbed to $9.3tn, fuelled by more than $350 billion in net new assets.
“Morgan Stanley delivered outstanding performance in 2025,” Ted Pick, the bank’s chief executive and chairman, said in a statement. “Our performance reflects multi-year investments which have contributed to growth and momentum across the integrated firm.”
Morgan Stanley shares have gained more than 43% over the past 12 months.