Morgan Stanley Wealth Management has introduced a new service that allows shareholders and investors to trade private company shares in the secondary market. The service, called Private Markets Transaction Desk, is part of Morgan Stanley’s comprehensive Private Markets ecosystem that offers various solutions for companies, employees and investors in the private sector.
The Private Markets Transaction Desk aims to help clients who want to access liquidity in a highly fragmented and opaque secondary market, where the number and value of growth-stage venture-backed companies have increased significantly in recent years. The service provides direct support for one-off sales and purchases of private company shares, as well as access to leading secondary marketplaces for a broader exposure and execution quality. The service also complements the existing private investment platforms for clients offered through Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.
The Private Markets Transaction Desk is led by Jeff Urban, an industry veteran who has extensive experience in private and public markets distribution and syndication. The service works closely with the company to streamline complex transactions and address the needs of both buyers and sellers in the private market.
Morgan Stanley also continues to invest in private company solutions through its Shareworks equity management platform, which has facilitated over $20 billion in company-led private share liquidity programs since 2020. With the launch of the Private Markets Transaction Desk, Shareworks can support a wider range of liquidity programs that allow companies to manage secondary transactions while maintaining control of their cap table.