Morgan Stanley is monitoring possible M&A openings as US regulators become more receptive to bank transactions, reported Reuters citing chief executive Ted Pick said.
At the bank’s main US investor conference, Pick said Morgan Stanley is “keeping an eye” on deal activity in the sector as regulators have become more willing to clear transactions.
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“…There could be some M&A activity in the space, and we want to be wide awake to that,” Pick said.
He said wealth management and asset management were areas where the bank could consider inorganic expansion.
Morgan Stanley agreed to buy private shares platform EquityZen last year. Before that, its largest acquisition was the $7bn takeover of investment management firm Eaton Vance in 2021.
“M&A in this industry is really challenging and we want to get it right,” Pick added.
Last month, JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon said his company could put $10bn to $20bn into M&A opportunities in the next couple of years.
Morgan Stanley is among the lead underwriters on the $75bn SpaceX IPO, which is expected to begin trading on Friday and is set to be the largest listing of its kind.
The bank said first-quarter investment banking revenue increased 36%, with M&A advisory providing the main support.
Morgan Stanley reported net income applicable to the firm of $5.5bn for the first quarter of 2026, compared with $4.3bn in the same period a year earlier.
Volatility linked to the Iran war lifted equities trading revenue to a record level. Revenue at its institutional securities division reached $10.7bn, up 19% from a year earlier.
“I think it’s fair to say that the securities business, investment banking and markets across the integrated firm is really humming right now,” Pick said.
