A surge in investor activity late last year and market appreciation boosted Morgan Stanley Wealth Managementβs total client assets to $6.2 trillion at the end of the fourth quarter, a 21% increase over the same period last year. The company, which reported reported fourth-quarter earnings that handily beat analystsβ forecasts, operates one of the nationβs largest wealth management businesses, which includes thousands of financial advisors and online brokerage platform E*Trade. Wealth managersβ assets have risen thanks to the strong performance of financial markets.