Sales and trading revenue shot higher as bond trading sales more than doubled. And an increase in equity and bond underwriting lifted its investment banking revenue.
After reporting its results, Morgan Stanley upped the ante. It raised the bar on a set of performance metrics that it had been steadily hitting for some time, Those targets track costs and profitability.
Investors cheered the move, driving Morgan Stanley shares up 7% in early trading Thursday.
Morgan's strong performance is the latest sign that CEO James Gorman's strategic vision is bearing fruit. He has turned the investment bank into a steadier performer by beefing up its wealth management business, steering it away from the more volatile trading business.
Under its CEO David Solomon, archrival Goldman Sachs is also trying to make itself less sensitive to market fluctuations by growing its fledgling consumer bank and expanding further into wealth management.
