Morgan Stanley

Gorman, who transformed Morgan Stanley after it nearly collapsed during the global financial crisis, plans to assume the role of executive chairman.

Corporations are navigating shifting geopolitics, and M&A bankers are advising them as they consider selling off faraway units and focusing more on assets closer to home or in friendlier countries.

Three announced deals from Woodward Capital, Redwood Trust and Wells Fargo are set to price before the end of the month; additional transactions are expected soon from Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

The transaction involving 345 high-balance mortgages is just the third sponsored by Morgan Stanley's mortgage acquisition and trading arm since the financial crisis more than a decade ago.

Morgan Stanley agreed to purchase Eaton Vance for about $7 billion in CEO James Gorman's second major acquisition this year, both of which tilt the investment bank further toward the steadier business of money management.

As they prepare to exit government conservatorship, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have enlisted the investment banks to help them boost capital and evaluate market opportunities.

Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are backing the first commercial mortgage-backed securities activity in two months, through two deals that exclude hotel or department store retail assets that are most exposed to pandemic-related stresses.

"We've proven we can operate with no footprint," said James Gorman, Morgan Stanley's CEO. "Can I see a future where part of every week, certainly part of every month, a lot of our employees will be at home? Absolutely."

The 52-story structure designed by postmodern architect Philip Johnson is backing a portion of a loan to Beacon Capital Partners for a cash-out refinancing of existing debt.

The single-loan securitization is through Morgan Stanley on suburban properties mostly concentrated in the Washington, D.C., area.