MS
Morgan Stanley
MS has a slight edge over V overall, supported by stronger modeled upside and stronger fundamentals.
V
Visa Inc.
V has slightly lower modeled downside risk, despite its lower overall score.
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.
V Fundamentals
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Healthy | |
| Strong | |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
V's revenue and profitability are currently healthy. Free cash flow and net leverage aren't meaningful measures for financial services companies like V.
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.
V PE Valuation
| Level | PE | Price | Vs current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | 28x | $420 | — |
| Cheap | 30x | $371 | -12% |
| Fair | 33x | $402 | -4.4% |
| Current | 34x | $420 | — |
| Expensive | 38x | $474 | +13% |
Historical ranges are pointers, not guarantees.
V 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 |
Analysts expect earnings and revenue growth for MS, with profitability improving.
V Forward outlook
| Metric | Outlook |
|---|---|
| Improving | |
| Growth | |
| Growth | |
| Improving | |
| Moderate | |
| High |
Analysts expect earnings and revenue growth for V, 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 V on earnings, with stronger typical year-over-year growth.
V Earnings Per Share
| Quarter | TTM EPS | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | $15.01 | +22% |
| Q3 2026 | $12.32 | +21% |
| Q2 2026 | $11.76 | +15% |
| Q1 2026 | $11.48 | +15% |
| Q4 2025 | $10.66 | +7.5% |
| Q3 2025 | $10.21 | +4.9% |
| Q2 2025 | $10.24 | +9.5% |
| Q1 2025 | $9.95 | +11% |
| Q4 2024 | $9.92 | +14% |
V's earnings per share have climbed steadily: $12.32 over the past year, up 21% from the year before, and higher year over year for 21 quarters in a row.
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 has the edge over V on sales, with stronger typical year-over-year growth.
| 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.
V Quarterly Revenue
| Quarter | Revenue | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $12.1B | +13% |
| Q2 2026 | $11.6B | +14% |
| Q1 2026 | $11.2B | +17% |
| Q4 2025 | $10.9B | +15% |
| Q3 2025 | $10.7B | +12% |
| Q2 2025 | $10.2B | +14% |
| Q1 2025 | $9.6B | +9.3% |
| Q4 2024 | $9.5B | +10% |
V's revenue has grown year over year for 22 quarters in a row: $12.1B last quarter, up 13% from the same quarter a year ago.
| Quarter | Margin | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 60% | +2.5 points |
| Q2 2026 | 59% | -1.6 points |
| Q1 2026 | 64% | +7.8 points |
| Q4 2025 | 62% | -3.8 points |
| Q3 2025 | 57% | -8.7 points |
| Q2 2025 | 61% | -6 points |
| Q1 2025 | 57% | -4.4 points |
| Q4 2024 | 66% | -3.4 points |
V 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.
V Free Cash Flow
| Quarter | Free cash flow | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $6.9B | +18% |
| Q2 2026 | $6.1B | -2.7% |
| Q1 2026 | $2.6B | -40% |
| Q4 2025 | $6.4B | +27% |
| Q3 2025 | $5.8B | -8% |
| Q2 2025 | $6.3B | +33% |
| Q1 2025 | $4.4B | +2.6% |
| Q4 2024 | $5.1B | +51% |
V 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 1.6B diluted shares, down 1.5% from a year ago.
V Total Shares
| Period | Change % | Net change |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly | -7% | -136M shares |
| 1 year | -7.6% | -148M shares |
| 3 years | -13% | -268M shares |
| 5 years | -17% | -378M shares |
| Available history | -20% | -443M shares |
V has the edge over MS on shareholder dilution, with a more favorable share count trend.
| Quarter | Spent |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $4B |
| Q2 2026 | $4.8B |
| Q1 2026 | $7.9B |
| Q4 2025 | $3.7B |
| Q3 2025 | $4.9B |
| Q2 2025 | $4.8B |
| Q1 2025 | $4.6B |
| Q4 2024 | $4B |
V spent $20.5B buying back its own shares over the past year, up 12% from the year before.
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.
V Net Leverage
| Quarter | Net Leverage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 0.3x | Very low |
| Q2 2026 | 0.4x | Very low |
| Q1 2026 | 0.4x | Very low |
| Q4 2025 | 0.2x | Very low |
| Q3 2025 | 0.3x | Very low |
| Q2 2025 | 0.3x | Very low |
| Q1 2025 | 0.4x | Very low |
| Q4 2024 | 0.3x | Very low |
V 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).
V Weekly Momentum
| Metric | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSI | 73.7 | Overbought |
| Stochastic | 82.0 | Overbought |
V's weekly RSI is 74 (overbought) and its Stochastic is 82 (overbought).
MS PE vs Financial Services Sector
| Metric | MS | Sector median | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 15x | 13x | 15% above |
| PE % | 59 | 63 | 4 pts below |
MS has the edge over V on valuation relative to its sector.
V PE vs Financial Services Sector
| Metric | V | Sector median | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 34x | 13x | 162% above |
| PE % | 62 | 63 | 1 pt below |
V is trading at 34x earnings, a 162% premium to the Financial Services sector's median of 13x.
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.
V Weekly Moving Averages
| Moving average | MA price | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 8 week MA | $397.6 | 5.7% above |
| 20 week MA | $378.3 | 11% above |
| 50 week MA | $346.0 | 21% above |
| 100 week MA | $343.7 | 22% above |
| 200 week MA | $300.6 | 40% above |
V 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.
V Yearly ROI
| Year | Start price | End price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $189.4 | $208.7 | +10% |
| 2021 | $208.7 | $216.6 | +3.8% |
| 2022 | $216.6 | $205.8 | -5% |
| 2023 | $205.8 | $260.4 | +26% |
| 2024 | $260.4 | $318.7 | +22% |
| 2025 | $318.7 | $355.0 | +11% |
| 2026 YTD | $355.0 | $420.3 | +18% |
V has the edge over MS on returns for 2026, with the stronger performance.