PREVIEW: Morgan Stanley seen reporting higher Q4 profit, results due Thursday

Shares of Morgan Stanley MS.N are down 1.6% on Wed, declining along with other bank shares, with Morgan Stanley seen reporting higher profit and rev in its quarterly results due before the bell Thurs

The S&P 500 bank index .SPXBK is down 2.4% after mixed results from some big banks, including Wells Fargo WFC.N, whose shares dropped after it missed Q4 profit expectations

Analysts expect MS Q4 rev of $17.77 bln vs $16.22 in the yr ago period and EPS of $2.44 vs $2.22 a yr ago, based on LSEG data

MS is expected to have benefitted like other bankers from higher fees amid a dealmaking boom during the quarter

In Oct, MS's profit beat estimates for Q3 as a surge in dealmaking drove rev to records

The median 12-month PT on MS is $190.00, with the stock last at $179.89

Analyst ratings on MS include 10 "strong buy" or "buy" ratings and 15 "hold" ratings, according to LSEG

MS shares are up ~1.4% YTD after rising about 41% in 2025, compared with a 0.7% gain in the S&P 500 .SPX so far this year