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Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.
Morgan Stanley has the Financial Strength Rank of 2. It displays poor financial strength and is likely in financial distress. Usually this is caused by too much debt for the company.
Warning Sign:
Morgan Stanley displays poor financial strength. Usually, this is caused by too much debt for the company.
GuruFocus Financial Strength Rank measures how strong a company's financial situation is. It is rated on a scale of 1 to 10 and is based on these factors:
1. The debt burden that the company has as measured by its Interest Coverage (current year). The higher, the better.
2. Debt to revenue ratio. The lower, the better.
3. Altman Z-Score.
4. Other debt related ratios.
A higher score indicates a stronger financial position, with companies rated 7 or above considered financially stable and unlikely to face distress. Conversely, a score of 3 or below suggests potential financial difficulties, indicating a higher risk of distress.
GuruFocus does not calculate Morgan Stanley's interest coverage with the available data.
Morgan Stanley's debt to revenue ratio for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 5.10.
Altman Z-Score does not apply to banks and insurance companies.
Morgan Stanley (XSWX:MS) Financial Strength Explanation
The rank is rated on a scale of 1 to 10. A higher score indicates a stronger financial position, with companies rated 7 or above considered financially stable and unlikely to face distress. Conversely, a score of 3 or below suggests potential financial difficulties, indicating a higher risk of distress.
Morgan Stanley has the Financial Strength Rank of 2. It displays poor financial strength and is likely in financial distress. Usually this is caused by too much debt for the company.
Interest Coverage is a ratio that determines how easily a company can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. It is calculated by dividing a company's Operating Income (EBIT) by its Interest Expense:
Z-Score model is an accurate forecaster of failure up to two years prior to distress. It can be considered the assessment of the distress of industrial corporations.
The zones of discrimination were as such:
When Z-Score is less than 1.81, it is in Distress Zones.
When Z-Score is greater than 2.99, it is in Safe Zones.
When Z-Score is between 1.81 and 2.99, it is in Grey Zones.
Altman Z-Score does not apply to banks and insurance companies.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Morgan Stanley (XSWX:MS) has a Financial Strength of 2 as of Mar. 2026. The financial strength rank measures the strength of a company's balance sheet based on revenue and debt. View historical data on Morgan Stanley and its competitors. This is 33% below median its historical median of 3.00. Over the past decade, Morgan Stanley's Financial Strength has ranged from 1.00 to 5.00.
Is Morgan Stanley's Financial Strength too high?
Morgan Stanley's current Financial Strength of 2 is 33% below median its 10-year median of 3.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.00 to a high of 5.00. Overall, Morgan Stanley has a GF Score™ of 71/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Morgan Stanley's Financial Strength compare to GS and SCHW?
Morgan Stanley's Financial Strength of 2 can be compared against companies in the Capital Markets industry. Historically, Morgan Stanley's own Financial Strength has ranged from 1.00 to 5.00 over the past decade. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Financial Strength for a Capital Markets company?
A good Financial Strength depends on the Capital Markets industry context. However, Financial Strength should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Financial Strength mean?
A high Financial Strength can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The financial strength rank measures the strength of a company's balance sheet based on revenue and debt. View historical data on Morgan Stanley and its competitors. Morgan Stanley's current Financial Strength is 2, which is 33% below median its own 10-year median of 3.00. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Morgan Stanley stock overvalued right now?
Morgan Stanley (XSWX:MS) has a current Financial Strength of 2. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF122.43, compared to a current price of CHF183.84 — trading 50.2% above its estimated fair value. The current Financial Strength is 2, which is 33% below median its 10-year median of 3.00. Morgan Stanley's overall GF Score™ is 71/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Financial Strength calculated?
Financial Strength is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Morgan Stanley (XSWX:MS), the current Financial Strength is 2 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Morgan Stanley (XSWX:MS) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Morgan Stanley stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of CHF183.84 is trading 50.2% above its estimated GF Value™ of CHF122.43.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:MS:
Financial Strength: 2 (33% below median its 10-year median of 3.00)
GF Value™: CHF122.43 vs. price of CHF183.84 (50.2% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:MS stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Morgan Stanley is a massive global financial services firm, with offices in 42 countries and more than 82,000 employees as of year-end 2025. The firm cut its teeth in investment banking and institutional trading, where it maintains a strong presence today, but generates the lion share of its income from wealth and asset management franchises, where it boasted $9.3 trillion in client assets at the end of 2025. After reincorporation as a bank holding company in the wake of the global financial crisis, Morgan Stanley also boasts a top 10 banking franchise by deposits, with more than $400 billion in customer deposits, predominately attributable to cash sweeps from its wealth management and brokerage businesses.
71GF Score
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