Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)'s third-quarter earnings for 2023 demonstrated resilience in the face of challenging market conditions, largely due to a strong performance from its wealth management division. The division's success has reduced the bank's reliance on its economically cyclical trading and investment banking operations, according to CEO James Gorman.
On Wednesday, the bank reported a 5% increase in wealth management net revenue to $6.4 billion, contributing to half of the total revenue for the quarter. This growth was driven by a 15% year-over-year rise in client assets managed by its financial advisors to $3.75 trillion.
Despite falling short of its ambitious quarterly target of $83 billion in net new assets, achieving only $35.7 billion, Gorman reaffirmed the bank's strategic goal of managing $10 trillion by accumulating an extra $1 trillion every three years.
Morgan Stanley’s profit fell around 9% year-over-year to $2.4 billion or $1.38 per share. This is in line with the InvestingPro data showing a declining trend in earnings per share. InvestingPro data also reveals that the bank's market cap stands at 131.18B USD with a P/E ratio of 13.06.
The bank's performance was negatively impacted by a 27% drop in total investment banking revenue to $938 million amidst sluggish global M&A activity due to uncertain economic and geopolitical conditions and rising interest rates. These challenges were reflected across the industry, with Dealogic data showing a 17% decrease in global investment banking fees in Q3.
In response to worsening commercial real estate conditions, Morgan Stanley set aside $134 million in provisions for credit losses, further impacting fixed income revenues. This downturn mirrors Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS)' smaller-than-expected Q3 profit drop, as both banks navigate shifts in their respective strategies and market conditions.
Despite the challenging environment, Morgan Stanley has managed to maintain dividend payments for 31 consecutive years, according to InvestingPro Tips. It's worth noting that the bank's dividend yield as of 2023 stands at 4.23%, as per InvestingPro data. This commitment to shareholder returns, along with the fact that the bank has been a prominent player in the Capital Markets industry, as shown by InvestingPro Tips, underscores its resilience amidst the market turbulence.
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