All of a Sudden, Mack Is Looking Like a Wise Choice
As the chart at right illustrates, Morgan Stanley stock has been a dud this year, especially when compared to some of its Wall Street brethren like Lehman and Goldman. (Morgan’s 19% ROE also lags Goldman’s 25%.) After a brief pick-up in the summer after John Mack’s return, the stock flatlined this fall, picking up only recently after Mack presented his strategic growth plan in mid-November. Yesterday saw another pop in the stock price following stronger-than-expected 4Q numbers and the announcement of a $1.75 credit-card acquisition.
Morgan Stanley Overhauls Itself [WSJ]
Morgan Stanley’s Net Rises 49% [WSJ]
Morgan Stanley Posts 49% Gain [NY Times]
Big Call By a Little Guy: Sharp Correction in ‘06
Just two months after getting bounced from Prudential and landing at Knight Capital Group, veteran technical analyst Ralph Acampora is making headline-grabbing predictions about the stock market’s performance next year. Acampora thinks stocks will rise another five percent in the first half of the year before going into a free-fall that will erase 20 to 25 percent of market value and create “classic four-year low.” Meanwhile, he expects the yield on 10-year treasurys to surpass 5 percent, squelching the real estate boom in the process.
Pro Sees Dow Dive in ‘06 [NY Post]
Veeps and Associates Have Strong Year at Bear
Speaking of the Bear paying out, an anonymous tipster left a comment yesterday about how comp ranges for mid-level professionals at the firm have shaken out this week. The word is that first year associates took home $250,000 to $300,000 while first year vice presidents banked between $400,000 and $500,000. How about other levels? Other firms?
Morgan Stanley’s Cruz Cruises to $13.6 Million Bonus
After, pulling down a $7,740,000 bonus last year, Morgan Stanley’s acting president Zoe Cruz, who’s been at the firm since 1982, was rewarded yesterday with 236,738 shares worth $13.6 million. Sounds good to us, but knowing the competitive juices that flow in these places, it’s possible Ms. Cruz won’t be entirely pleased about the fact that Neal A. Shear, co-head of institutional sales and trading, received a bonus worth $16.2 million. Overall, the firm’s top 17 execs walked away with $111.7 million of stock.
Morgan Stanley Bonuses [NY Times]
Zoe Cruz Comp Profile [Forbes]
