Summary
Morgan Stanley's Q3 2015 report shows a decline in net revenues and net income compared to the previous year, driven by weaker performance in its Institutional Securities and Investment Management segments. While Wealth Management demonstrated resilience with a slight revenue increase, the overall results were impacted by a challenging market environment, particularly in trading and underwriting activities. The company also experienced an increase in non-compensation expenses, largely due to litigation reserves. Despite the year-over-year decline in profitability, Morgan Stanley highlighted positive trends in equity trading and prime brokerage within its Institutional Securities segment. The company also continued to manage its capital effectively, returning capital to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, while maintaining strong regulatory capital ratios. The report indicates a strategic focus on enhancing returns over the long term, aiming for a sustainable 10% or more return on average common equity excluding DVA.
Financial Highlights
36 data points| Interest Expense | $689.00M |
| Net Income | $1.02B |
| EPS (Basic) | $0.49 |
| EPS (Diluted) | $0.48 |
| Shares Outstanding (Basic) | 1.90B |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted) | 1.95B |
Key Highlights
- 1Net revenues decreased by 13% year-over-year to $7.77 billion for the quarter, impacted by lower trading and underwriting revenues.
- 2Net income applicable to Morgan Stanley decreased to $1.02 billion ($0.48 per diluted share) from $1.69 billion ($0.83 per diluted share) in the prior year quarter.
- 3Institutional Securities segment revenue declined 14% to $3.90 billion, primarily due to weaker underwriting and fixed income trading.
- 4Wealth Management net revenues saw a 4% decrease to $3.64 billion, impacted by lower transactional and other revenues.
- 5Investment Management net revenues fell 59% to $274 million, mainly due to lower carried interest and principal investment markdowns.
- 6Total non-interest expenses decreased 6% due to lower compensation costs, though non-compensation expenses increased 15% driven by litigation reserves.
- 7The company maintained strong regulatory capital ratios, with its Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio at 14.0% under U.S. Basel III transitional rules.