Morgan Stanley tops estimates as trading revenue exceeds expectations by nearly $1 billion

Morgan Stanley on Wednesday posted results that topped analyst estimates as the firm's trading operations generated almost $1 billion more in revenue than expected.

Here's what the company reported:

The bank said profit jumped 29% to $5.57 billion, or $3.43 a share. Revenue rose 16% to $20.58 billion, fueled by gains in the firm's trading, investment banking and wealth management businesses.

Equities trading revenue jumped 25% to a record $5.15 billion, or about $450 million above the StreetAccount estimate. The firm cited strong volumes across its global equities franchise, especially in its prime brokerage business catering to hedge funds and its derivatives business.

Fixed income revenue rose 29% to $3.36 billion, or about $540 million more than expected, helped by commodities trading that benefited from volatility in energy markets in the period.

Investment banking revenue surged 36% to $2.12 billion, essentially matching the StreetAccount estimate, on rising fees from completed mergers, as well as stock and bond underwriting.

Wealth management revenue climbed 16% to a record $8.52 billion as the firm cited rising asset values and fee-generating transactions.

The firm's smallest division, its investment management business, saw revenue drop 4.2% to $1.54 billion, or about $110 million below expectations. Morgan Stanley cited lower carried interest on private funds for the drop in performance.

Analysts will want to know what CEO Ted Pick has to say on the business outlook for the rest of the year as geopolitical tensions remain high.

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