Morgan Stanley has followed the market’s trajectory closely, rising in tandem with the S&P 500 over the past six months. The stock has climbed by 13.7% to $191.48 per share while the index has gained 17.5%.
Is MS a buy right now? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Why Do Investors Watch MS Stock?
Founded in 1924 during the post-WWI economic boom by former JP Morgan partners, Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) is a global financial services firm that provides investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services to corporations, governments, institutions, and individuals.
Three Things to Like:
1. Skyrocketing Revenue Shows Strong Momentum
We at StockStory place the most emphasis on long-term growth, but within financials, a stretched historical view may miss recent interest rate changes, market returns, and industry trends. Morgan Stanley’s annualized revenue growth of 17.7% over the last two years is above its five-year trend, suggesting its demand recently accelerated.
Note: Quarters not shown were determined to be outliers because they were impacted by outsized investment gains/losses that are not indicative of the recurring fundamentals of the business.
2. EPS Moving Up Steadily
Analyzing the long-term change in earnings per share (EPS) shows whether a company’s incremental sales were profitable — for example, revenue could be inflated through excessive spending on advertising and promotions.
Morgan Stanley’s EPS grew at 10.2% compounded annual growth rate over the last five years, higher than its 6.9% annualized revenue growth. This tells us the company became more profitable on a per-share basis as it expanded.
3. Steady Increase in TBVPS Highlights Solid Asset Growth
Tangible book value per share (TBVPS) is a crucial metric that measures the actual value of shareholders’ equity, stripping out goodwill and other intangible assets that may not be recoverable in a worst-case scenario.
Although Morgan Stanley’s TBVPS increased by a meager 5.8% annually over the last five years, the good news is that its growth has recently accelerated as TBVPS grew at a solid 12.1% annual clip over the past two years (from $42.30 to $53.18 per share).
Final Judgment
There are definitely things to like about Morgan Stanley. At $191.48 per share, or 14.9× forward P/E, is now the right time to buy the stock? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
WHILE YOU’RE HERE: Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. The best stocks don’t just beat the market once. They do it again. And again. Robust revenue growth, rising free cash flow, returns on capital that leave their competition in the dust. The market has already rewarded these businesses.
But our AI platform says the party isn’t over. Find out which 9 stocks made the cut this week — FREE. Get Our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks for Free HERE.
Stocks that have made our list include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,460% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+214% between June 2020 and June 2025). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.