Morgan Stanley's Asia deal plans leaked in staffer's email misfire

A Morgan Stanley staffer accidentally leaked an internal document listing more than 100 investment-banking deals the firm is pitching and monitoring in Asia, revealing details of the bank's pipeline, according to people familiar with the matter.

The list contained candidates for initial public offerings, spanning from China to South Korea and India, according to a copy seen by Bloomberg News and verified by people familiar with the matter. The list - which focused mostly on Asia, along with Europe, the Middle East, and Africa - also included private equity and pension funds backing those companies, and projects that were put on hold.

The deals list was sent out via email this week by a bank staffer who later sought to retract the message, according to people familiar with the matter. A blurred copy was also posted by an account on Instagram.


In a statement to Bloomberg News, Morgan Stanley said it takes client confidentiality extremely seriously. "We promptly took steps to address this inadvertent sharing of information and we continue to engage with relevant parties," the New York-based firm said.

The incident is an embarrassing misstep for the bank, which has ranked among the top underwriters of Hong Kong stock sales and Asia mergers for years. While such errors are rare, it highlights the sensitivity of information handled by investment-banking teams, where details of prospective client transactions are typically closely guarded.

It's unclear whether clients and related parties have reached out to Morgan Stanley and how the firm is addressing the issue.

Several banks and financial institutions have accidentally leaked sensitive documents in recent years, leading to regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and long-term customer trust issues.

In July, Bank of Baroda said an employee's email account was compromised, resulting in unauthorized access to certain data.