MS
Morgan Stanley
MS has a slight edge over PLBC overall, supported by stronger valuation and stronger modeled upside.
PLBC
Plumas Bancorp
PLBC offers stronger fundamentals, but that advantage does not outweigh its weaker overall profile.
MS Fundamentals
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Healthy | |
| Strong | |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
MS's revenue and profitability are currently healthy. Free cash flow and net leverage aren't meaningful measures for financial services companies like MS.
PLBC Fundamentals
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Healthy | |
| Strong | |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
PLBC's revenue and profitability are currently healthy. Free cash flow and net leverage aren't meaningful measures for financial services companies like PLBC.
MS PE Valuation
| Level | PE | Price | Vs current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap | 11x | $134 | -29% |
| Fair | 14x | $178 | -5.7% |
| Forward | 14x | $189 | — |
| Current | 15x | $189 | — |
| Expensive | 18x | $223 | +18% |
Historical ranges are pointers, not guarantees.
MS's PE is in its fair range at 15x. If earnings grow as analysts expect, today's price would be 14x next year's earnings.
PLBC PE Valuation
| Level | PE | Price | Vs current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap | 7.3x | $43.48 | -31% |
| Fair | 8.9x | $53.00 | -16% |
| Expensive | 11x | $62.85 | -0.1% |
| Current | 11x | $62.91 | — |
| Forward | 11x | $62.91 | — |
Historical ranges are pointers, not guarantees.
PLBC has the edge over MS in the historical PE scenario, which offers more potential upside but is not a forecast.
MS Forward outlook
| Metric | Outlook |
|---|---|
| Improving | |
| Growth | |
| Growth | |
| Improving | |
| Limited | |
| Moderate |
MS has the edge over PLBC on the outlook, with more favorable valuation expectations.
PLBC Forward outlook
| Metric | Outlook |
|---|---|
| Stable | |
| Growth | |
| Growth | |
| Improving | |
| Limited | |
| High |
Analysts expect earnings and revenue growth for PLBC, with profitability improving.
MS Earnings Per Share
| Quarter | TTM EPS | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | $13.39 | +6.3% |
| Q3 2026 | $12.60 | +29% |
| Q2 2026 | $12.37 | +40% |
| Q1 2026 | $11.04 | +29% |
| Q4 2025 | $10.21 | +28% |
| Q3 2025 | $9.76 | +48% |
| Q2 2025 | $8.84 | +45% |
| Q1 2025 | $8.53 | +55% |
| Q4 2024 | $7.95 | +53% |
MS has the edge over PLBC on earnings, with more consistent year-over-year improvement.
PLBC Earnings Per Share
| Quarter | TTM EPS | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | $5.89 | -1.1% |
| Q3 2026 | $5.96 | +39% |
| Q2 2026 | $5.08 | +4.5% |
| Q1 2026 | $4.72 | -4.6% |
| Q4 2025 | $4.54 | -5.4% |
| Q3 2025 | $4.28 | -10% |
| Q2 2025 | $4.86 | +1% |
| Q1 2025 | $4.95 | +3.3% |
| Q4 2024 | $4.80 | -4.4% |
PLBC earned $5.96 per share over the past year, up 39% from the year before.
MS Quarterly Revenue
| Quarter | Revenue | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $20.3B | +12% |
| Q2 2026 | $21.3B | +27% |
| Q1 2026 | $20.6B | +16% |
| Q4 2025 | $17.9B | +10% |
| Q3 2025 | $18.2B | +18% |
| Q2 2025 | $16.8B | +12% |
| Q1 2025 | $17.7B | +17% |
| Q4 2024 | $16.2B | +26% |
MS's revenue has grown year over year for 14 quarters in a row: $20.3B last quarter, up 12% from the same quarter a year ago.
| Quarter | Margin | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 32% | -1.2 points |
| Q2 2026 | 34% | +6.9 points |
| Q1 2026 | 34% | +2.8 points |
| Q4 2025 | 32% | +2 points |
| Q3 2025 | 33% | +5.6 points |
| Q2 2025 | 28% | +0.4 points |
| Q1 2025 | 31% | +2.2 points |
| Q4 2024 | 30% | +14 points |
MS's operating margin was 32% last quarter, down 1.2 points from the same quarter a year ago.
PLBC Quarterly Revenue
| Quarter | Revenue | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $29.3M | +6.9% |
| Q2 2026 | $28.8M | +40% |
| Q1 2026 | $28.1M | +29% |
| Q4 2025 | $28.6M | +35% |
| Q3 2025 | $27.4M | +30% |
| Q2 2025 | $20.5M | -0.3% |
| Q1 2025 | $21.8M | +11% |
| Q4 2024 | $21.2M | +5.8% |
PLBC's revenue has grown year over year for five quarters in a row: $29M last quarter, up 6.9% from the same quarter a year ago.
| Quarter | Margin | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 48% | +23 points |
| Q2 2026 | 47% | +5.3 points |
| Q1 2026 | 47% | +0.7 points |
| Q4 2025 | 49% | -1.5 points |
| Q3 2025 | 25% | -25 points |
| Q2 2025 | 42% | -2.9 points |
| Q1 2025 | 46% | +3.4 points |
| Q4 2024 | 50% | -0.3 points |
PLBC has the edge over MS on profitability, with a higher operating margin.
MS Free Cash Flow
| Quarter | Free cash flow | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -$46B | -$42.7B |
| Q2 2026 | -$2.7B | -123% |
| Q1 2026 | -$7.1B | +$16.9B |
| Q4 2025 | -$2.4B | -120% |
| Q3 2025 | -$3.3B | +$14B |
| Q2 2025 | $11.8B | +368% |
| Q1 2025 | -$24B | -650% |
| Q4 2024 | $11.8B | +$29.6B |
MS's free cash flow was −$58.3B over the past year, against −$3.7B the year before. Free cash flow isn't a meaningful measure for financial services companies like MS.
PLBC Free Cash Flow
| Quarter | Free cash flow | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $14.6M | +204% |
| Q2 2026 | $11.6M | +468% |
| Q1 2026 | $9.3M | +26% |
| Q4 2025 | $6.1M | -25% |
| Q3 2025 | $4.8M | -39% |
| Q2 2025 | $2M | -58% |
| Q1 2025 | $7.3M | -18% |
| Q4 2024 | $8.2M | +3184% |
PLBC has the edge over MS on cash generation, producing positive trailing cash flow while its opponent burns cash.
MS Total Shares
| Period | Change % | Net change |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly | -0.2% | -3M shares |
| 1 year | -1.5% | -24M shares |
| 3 years | -4.7% | -77M shares |
| 5 years | -14% | -246M shares |
| Available history | -4.5% | -74M shares |
MS has the edge over PLBC on shareholder dilution, with a more favorable share count trend.
PLBC Total Shares
| Period | Change % | Net change |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly | +0.1% | +10K shares |
| 1 year | +0.5% | +37K shares |
| 3 years | +19% | +1.1M shares |
| 5 years | +20% | +1.2M shares |
| Available history | +35% | +1.8M shares |
PLBC has 7M diluted shares, up 0.5% from a year ago.
| Quarter | Spent |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $1.4M |
| Q2 2026 | $756,000 |
| Q1 2026 | $2M |
MS Net Leverage
| Quarter | Net Leverage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 7.8x | High |
| Q2 2026 | 7.3x | High |
| Q1 2026 | 8.2x | High |
| Q4 2025 | 8.6x | High |
| Q3 2025 | 8.4x | High |
| Q2 2025 | 8.7x | High |
| Q1 2025 | 8.7x | High |
| Q4 2024 | 7.9x | High |
MS's net debt is about 7.8 years of its operating earnings (EBITDA), down from 8.4 years a year ago. Net leverage isn't a meaningful measure for financial services companies like MS.
PLBC Net Leverage
| Quarter | Net Leverage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -1.7x | Net Cash |
| Q2 2026 | -2.4x | Net Cash |
| Q1 2026 | -1.0x | Net Cash |
| Q4 2025 | -1.4x | Net Cash |
| Q3 2025 | -1.6x | Net Cash |
| Q2 2025 | -1.6x | Net Cash |
| Q1 2025 | -1.7x | Net Cash |
| Q4 2024 | -1.7x | Net Cash |
PLBC has the edge over MS on leverage, with a lower net debt burden relative to earnings.
MS Weekly Momentum
| Metric | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSI | 45.0 | Neutral |
| Stochastic | 18.7 | Oversold |
MS's weekly RSI is 45 (neutral) and its Stochastic is 19 (oversold).
PLBC Weekly Momentum
| Metric | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSI | 64.4 | Neutral |
| Stochastic | 62.6 | Neutral |
PLBC's weekly RSI is 64 (neutral) and its Stochastic is 63 (neutral).
MS PE vs Financial Services Sector
| Metric | MS | Sector median | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 15x | 13x | 15% above |
| PE % | 59 | 63 | 4 pts below |
MS is trading at 15x earnings, a 15% premium to the Financial Services sector's median of 13x.
PLBC PE vs Financial Services Sector
| Metric | PLBC | Sector median | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 11x | 13x | 19% below |
| PE % | 83 | 63 | 20 pts above |
PLBC has the edge over MS on valuation relative to its sector.
MS Weekly Moving Averages
| Moving average | MA price | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 8 week MA | $186.5 | 1.5% above |
| 20 week MA | $203.3 | 6.9% below |
| 50 week MA | $191.9 | 1.4% below |
| 100 week MA | $164.9 | 15% above |
| 200 week MA | $129.3 | 46% above |
MS's trend is mixed: it's above three of its five weekly moving averages, and 46% above its 200-week average.
PLBC Weekly Moving Averages
| Moving average | MA price | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 8 week MA | $62.4 | 0.8% above |
| 20 week MA | $61.9 | 1.7% above |
| 50 week MA | $54.9 | 15% above |
| 100 week MA | $49.2 | 28% above |
| 200 week MA | $43.4 | 45% above |
PLBC has the edge over MS on trend strength, trading above more of its moving averages.
MS Yearly ROI
| Year | Start price | End price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $51.1 | $68.1 | +33% |
| 2021 | $68.1 | $99.3 | +46% |
| 2022 | $99.3 | $86.1 | -13% |
| 2023 | $86.1 | $93.3 | +8.3% |
| 2024 | $93.3 | $126.8 | +36% |
| 2025 | $126.8 | $181.9 | +43% |
| 2026 YTD | $181.9 | $189.2 | +4% |
MS has finished higher in five of the last six years. It's up 4% so far in 2026.
PLBC Yearly ROI
| Year | Start price | End price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $26.4 | $23.1 | -12% |
| 2021 | $23.1 | $32.5 | +40% |
| 2022 | $32.5 | $35.4 | +9% |
| 2023 | $35.4 | $41.4 | +17% |
| 2024 | $41.4 | $47.0 | +14% |
| 2025 | $47.0 | $45.3 | -3.5% |
| 2026 YTD | $45.3 | $62.9 | +39% |
PLBC has the edge over MS on returns for 2026, with the stronger performance.