This story was originally published on Banking Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Banking Dive newsletter. Bank of America agreed to pay CEO Brian Moynihan $41 million for 2025, the bank disclosed Friday. With that, a perhaps surprising trend has emerged among the six largest U.S.-based global systemically important banks: The longer a CEO has served, the lower his or her raise was in 2025, generally. Jamie Dimon, who has led JPMorgan Chase since 2006, received a 10.3% ...

Core Insights - The launch of Altruist's AI-powered tool on the Hazel platform has caused significant concern among investors, leading to a decline in wealth management stocks, with Charles Schwab's stock dropping nearly 11% and Morgan Stanley falling almost 5% [1] - Despite the sell-off, major wealth management firms are not retreating but are instead expanding their AI capabilities, indicating a belief that AI will reshape the industry [3][4] Industry Developments - AI is increasingly being utilized as a co-pilot for financial advisors, assisting with tasks such as taking meeting notes, drafting emails, and conducting research [4] - Major firms like Morgan Stanley are developing AI tools across three main functionalities: enhancing co-pilot features, creating an AI agent for client interaction, and building a portfolio construction engine [6] - Schwab is implementing AI in call centers to improve client response times and has identified over 200 potential use cases for AI across its operations [4]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses Morgan Stanley's latest 13F holdings report, highlighting a shift in investment strategy amidst macroeconomic uncertainty and high valuation pressures, emphasizing the importance of stock selection over passive index exposure [1][9]. Group 1: Investment Strategy - Morgan Stanley's total market value of U.S. stocks increased by only 1.2%, indicating a cautious approach rather than a dramatic repositioning [1]. - The firm is reducing passive exposure while increasing the weight of active selection, suggesting a focus on individual stock performance rather than relying on overall market movements [3][4]. - The report signals a transition from a "rising tide lifts all boats" mentality to a more discerning investment environment where individual stock fundamentals matter more [4][10]. Group 2: Sector Focus - Technology remains a core focus, with major holdings in Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, reflecting confidence in the sector's long-term growth despite short-term volatility [2][7]. - The report indicates that technology giants are viewed as safe havens due to their strong cash flows and market positions, reinforcing their role as key drivers of global economic growth [2]. Group 3: Stock Selection - Morgan Stanley's top ten holdings account for only 22.15% of the portfolio, lower than typical concentrated portfolios, indicating a strategy that favors individual stock selection over broad market exposure [3]. - The firm is making nuanced adjustments within the same companies and sectors, such as reducing voting shares of Google while increasing non-voting shares, optimizing for liquidity and index inclusion [6]. - The adjustments in holdings reflect a preference for companies with clearer cash flows and more stable business models, as seen in the reduction of Amazon's shares due to its exposure to economic cycles [6][7]. Group 4: Market Dynamics - The report suggests that the market is transitioning from a "broad rally" phase to a "differentiation" phase, where simple index investments may obscure individual stock risks [4][9]. - Investors are encouraged to focus on companies with strong competitive advantages and cash flow resilience, as these will be better positioned to navigate economic uncertainties [10][13]. Group 5: Conclusion - Morgan Stanley's 13F report serves as a guide for investors, emphasizing the need to prioritize quality and capability in stock selection rather than merely following market trends [12][13]. - The article concludes that in an uncertain market, companies with real value-creating capabilities will be the safest harbor for capital [13].

Core Insights - Morgan Stanley and Houlihan Lokey emerged as the leading financial advisors in consumer M&A for 2025, with Morgan Stanley leading in deal value and Houlihan Lokey in deal volume [1][2]. Summary by Category Deal Value - Morgan Stanley advised on transactions totaling $79.71 billion, significantly outpacing its peers [1][3]. - The firm completed nine deals, including four valued at over $1 billion, with two classified as mega deals exceeding $10 billion [3]. - Notable transactions included advising Keurig Dr Pepper on its acquisition of JDE Peet's for €15.7 billion ($18.36 billion) [3]. Deal Volume - Houlihan Lokey maintained its position as the top advisor by volume, handling 30 transactions in 2025 [1][2]. - The firm's focus was primarily in the food sector, exemplified by Kraft Heinz's asset sale in Italy [4]. Competitor Rankings - Goldman Sachs ranked second in deal value with $65.13 billion across 16 deals, followed by JPMorgan with $57.3 billion from 11 deals [6]. - In terms of deal volume, Rothschild & Co. ranked second with 20 deals, followed by Spayne Lindsay with 17 [6]. Year-over-Year Changes - Morgan Stanley's deal value saw a year-over-year increase of 8821%, while Houlihan Lokey's deal volume decreased by 32% compared to 2024 [5].

来源：滚动播报 摩根士丹利将终止与4 家沙特上市公司的做市协议。 ...

（来源：吴说） 吴说获悉，Morgan Stanley 在一则区块链软件工程师招聘信息中提到，要求工程师能够领导区块链工程 项目，专注于为数字资产、代币化和去中心化金融（DeFi）构建可扩展、安全且符合监管要求的解决方 案。涉及至少四条区块链的集成，包括 Hyperledger、Polygon、Canton 和 Ethereum。年薪最高达 15 万 美元。 ...

Core Viewpoint - Investors are retreating from risk assets and turning to U.S. Treasury bonds as concerns grow over the sustainability of AI investment returns and high market valuations [1][4] Group 1: Market Trends - Morgan Stanley's report indicates a shift in market sentiment, with investors becoming increasingly sensitive to the negative externalities of the AI investment cycle [1] - The S&P 500 index has reached new highs, but stocks directly impacted by AI disruptions have begun to decline [2][4] - A basket of 108 AI-impacted stocks has shown a significant divergence from the broader market, indicating a potential peak in AI optimism [2][4] Group 2: Economic Indicators - Morgan Stanley has raised its 2026 U.S. GDP growth forecast from 2.4% to 2.6%, driven by capital expenditures from hyperscalers [1] - However, the firm warns that this growth comes with risks, particularly if investment returns do not materialize, leading to potential overinvestment issues [1][4] Group 3: Investor Sentiment - High-income groups (earning over $100,000) have shown a notable shift in their perception of the economy since the beginning of the year, reflecting concerns over asset price volatility [5][6][7] - The decline in confidence among affluent consumers is often a precursor to economic recession, suggesting a cautious outlook for the economy [7][9] Group 4: Inflation and Monetary Policy - Recent inflation data has surprised to the downside, with January CPI growth at 0.17%, below expectations, and core CPI at 0.30% [12][13] - This unexpected decline in inflation is reshaping Federal Reserve policy expectations, with markets pricing in potential interest rate cuts by mid-2026 [13] - The Fed's recent bond purchasing operations have provided liquidity support, further benefiting short-term U.S. Treasuries [13]

Core Insights - Morgan Stanley is enhancing its crypto infrastructure capabilities, focusing on decentralized finance (DeFi) and real-world asset tokenization, in response to the pro-crypto environment in the US [1][2] Group 1: Job Opportunities and Focus Areas - The firm is actively seeking a senior-level engineer to lead its blockchain architecture, emphasizing DeFi and tokenization as key areas of focus [2] - The successful candidate will be responsible for developing scalable, secure, and regulatory-compliant solutions that integrate traditional banking with digital asset industries [4] Group 2: Market Growth and Value - DeFi and real-world asset tokenization have become the fastest-growing sectors in the crypto economy, with over $100 billion in total value locked (TVL) according to DeFiLlama [3] - The infrastructure strategy involves using Ethereum and Polygon for public network liquidity and Layer-2 scaling, while Hyperledger and Canton will be utilized for privacy-preserving transactions [5] Group 3: Future Developments - Morgan Stanley plans to launch a proprietary crypto trading service on its E*Trade platform in the first half of 2026, supporting Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana trading [6] - The firm’s expansion aligns with trends in traditional finance, as competitors like BlackRock and Fidelity are also engaging in tokenization of institutional funds [6] Group 4: Industry Trends - There is a notable increase in blockchain-related job openings at major financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase, indicating a shift from experimental projects to permanent digital asset products [7]

Core Insights - Morgan Stanley's Q4 holdings report indicates a strategy focused on maintaining core technology positions, reducing index exposure, and enhancing active selection capabilities [1] Group 1: Overall Holdings - Morgan Stanley's total holdings value for Q4 reached $1.67 trillion, a 1.2% increase from $1.65 trillion in the previous quarter [1] - The fund added 454 new stocks, increased positions in 4,007 stocks, reduced positions in 3,028 stocks, and completely exited 415 stocks [1] - The top ten holdings accounted for 22.15% of the total portfolio value [1] Group 2: Major Holdings - Apple (AAPL.US) became the largest holding with an increase of approximately 1.38 million shares [1] - Nvidia (NVDA.US) remained the second-largest holding with an increase of nearly 780,000 shares [1] - Microsoft (MSFT.US) dropped from first to third place but still saw an increase of about 980,000 shares [1] - Google Class A (GOOGL.US) was reduced by approximately 150,000 shares, while Google Class C (GOOG.US) was increased by 1.13 million shares, indicating a shift in stock type optimization [1] - Amazon (AMZN.US) was reduced by about 1.28 million shares, ranking fifth [1] Group 3: Sector Adjustments - In the technology sector, Meta (META.US) saw an increase of about 820,000 shares, while Tesla (TSLA.US) was reduced by 360,000 shares [2] - AMD (AMD.US) was reduced by 5.02 million shares, and Palantir (PLTR.US) was reduced by 103,000 shares [2] - Defensive and high-dividend sectors, such as healthcare and consumer staples, saw reductions in holdings, including Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.US), AbbVie (ABBV.US), and Walmart (WMT.US) [2][3] Group 4: New Positions and ETF Strategy - Morgan Stanley increased positions in JPMorgan (JPM.US), Uber (UBER.US), and gold ETF (GLD.US) [4] - New investments included Medline (MDLN.US), Total (TTE.US), Qnity Electronics (Q.US), Solstice (SOLS.US), and Dream Dragon (MICC.US) [4] - The decline in ETF positions suggests a preference for individual stock selection to achieve excess returns rather than relying on broad index exposure [5]

Executive Compensation - Top U.S. bank executives are receiving their highest payouts since before the 2008 financial crisis, with several leaders joining the "40 million club" [2][9] - Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) CEO David Solomon leads with a $47 million compensation package for 2025, a 20.5% increase from the previous year [2] - Other major institutions have also increased CEO pay, with Citigroup Inc. (C) raising Jane Fraser's pay by 22% to $42 million, Morgan Stanley (MS) CEO Ted Pick's compensation jumping 31% to $45 million, JPMorgan Chase (JPM) leader Jamie Dimon receiving $43 million, and Wells Fargo (WFC) CEO Charlie Scharf reaching $40 million [3][9] Market Outlook - Analysts at JPMorgan Chase (JPM) believe a weaker U.S. dollar will act as a catalyst for stocks, projecting a decline of approximately 3% through mid-2026 [4] - The broader market remains resilient, with the S&P 500 surpassing the 7,000 level, supported by underlying economic growth momentum and expected Federal Reserve easing [5][9] U.S. Government Actions - U.S. agencies are shifting tactics to assist Iranian civilians in evading government censorship, purchasing nearly 7,000 Starlink terminals and covertly transferring about 6,000 units into Iran [6][7][9] - This hardware-focused approach comes amid challenges in funding VPN software for millions of users, with concerns that inconsistent federal funding could lead to critical VPN services going offline [7]