MSCI vs. MS
MSCI (MSCI Inc.) and MS (Morgan Stanley) are both stocks. Both are in the Financial Services sector — MSCI in Financial Data & Stock Exchanges, MS in Capital Markets. Over the past 10 years, MSCI returned 22.38%/yr vs 25.84%/yr for MS. Their 0.43 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.
Performance
MSCI vs. MS - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, MSCI achieves a 0.50% return, which is significantly lower than MS's 20.48% return. Over the past 10 years, MSCI has underperformed MS with an annualized return of 22.38%, while MS has yielded a comparatively higher 25.84% annualized return.
MSCI
- 1D
- -0.61%
- 1M
- -5.12%
- 6M
- -5.36%
- YTD
- 0.50%
- 1Y
- 4.10%
- 3Y*
- 2.84%
- 5Y*
- 0.29%
- 10Y*
- 22.38%
- ALL TIME*
- 19.59%
MS
- 1D
- 0.72%
- 1M
- -1.10%
- 6M
- 16.37%
- YTD
- 20.48%
- 1Y
- 54.71%
- 3Y*
- 36.38%
- 5Y*
- 20.78%
- 10Y*
- 25.84%
- ALL TIME*
- 13.01%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.18B | $1.27B | $1.26B | |
MSCI MSCI Inc. | $558.68M | $425.84M | $423.23M |
MSCI vs. MS - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MSCI MSCI Inc. | 0.50% | -3.17% | 7.31% | 22.90% | -23.34% | 38.14% | 74.38% | 77.19% | 17.95% | 62.63% |
MS Morgan Stanley | 20.48% | 45.16% | 39.73% | 13.93% | -10.34% | 46.65% | 38.09% | 32.67% | -22.76% | 26.61% |
Correlation
The correlation between MSCI and MS is 0.21, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.21 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.33 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.43 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.39 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 15, 2007 | 0.43 |
Over the past year, the correlation between MSCI and MS has dropped to 0.21 - well below their long-term average of 0.43, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.
Fundamentals
MSCI:
$41.60B
MS:
$332.03B
MSCI:
$18.04
MS:
$11.41
MSCI:
31.72
MS:
18.43
MSCI:
1.96
MS:
1.73
MSCI:
12.92
MS:
2.79
MSCI:
$3.33B
MS:
$120.22B
MSCI:
$2.77B
MS:
$69.72B
MSCI:
$2.05B
MS:
$27.21B
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Return for Risk
MSCI vs. MS — Risk / Return Rank
MSCI
MS
MSCI vs. MS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for MSCI Inc. (MSCI) and Morgan Stanley (MS). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| MSCI | MS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.73 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.04 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.05 | 1.31 | -0.26 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.19 | 2.72 | -2.54 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.45 | 8.59 | -8.14 |
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Drawdowns
MSCI vs. MS - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum MSCI drawdown since its inception was -69.06%, smaller than the maximum MS drawdown of -88.12%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for MSCI and MS.
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Drawdown Indicators
| MSCI | MS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -69.06% | -88.12% | +19.06% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -18.07% | -18.83% | +0.76% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -25.99% | -29.24% | +3.25% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -43.74% | -32.38% | -11.36% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -43.74% | -51.33% | +7.59% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -11.12% | -7.43% | -3.69% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -13.04% | -33.57% | +20.53% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 7.46% | 5.96% | +1.50% |
Volatility
MSCI vs. MS - Volatility Comparison
MSCI Inc. (MSCI) has a higher volatility of 13.82% compared to Morgan Stanley (MS) at 10.15%. This indicates that MSCI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| MSCI | MS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 13.82% | 10.15% | +3.67% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 24.75% | 22.56% | +2.19% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 30.48% | 27.83% | +2.65% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 31.36% | 28.82% | +2.54% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 31.47% | 31.37% | +0.10% |
Dividends
MSCI vs. MS - Dividend Comparison
MSCI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.35%, less than MS's 1.97% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MS Morgan Stanley | 1.97% | 2.17% | 2.82% | 3.49% | 3.47% | 2.14% | 2.04% | 2.54% | 2.77% | 1.72% | 1.66% | 1.73% |
MSCI MSCI Inc. | 1.35% | 1.25% | 1.07% | 0.98% | 0.98% | 0.59% | 0.65% | 0.98% | 1.30% | 1.04% | 1.27% | 1.11% |
Financials
MSCI vs. MS - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between MSCI Inc. and Morgan Stanley. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
MSCI vs. MS - Profitability Comparison
MSCI - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, MSCI Inc. reported a gross profit of 717.10M and revenue of 867.00M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 82.7%.
MS - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Morgan Stanley reported a gross profit of 20.48B and revenue of 33.15B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 61.8%.
MSCI - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, MSCI Inc. reported an operating income of 487.50M and revenue of 867.00M, resulting in an operating margin of 56.2%.
MS - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Morgan Stanley reported an operating income of 7.01B and revenue of 33.15B, resulting in an operating margin of 21.2%.
MSCI - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, MSCI Inc. reported a net income of 342.00M and revenue of 867.00M, resulting in a net margin of 39.5%.
MS - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Morgan Stanley reported a net income of 5.64B and revenue of 33.15B, resulting in a net margin of 17.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
MSCI and MS have a correlation of 0.21, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
MSCI has higher volatility (13.82%) compared to MS (10.15%). In terms of maximum drawdown, MSCI dropped -69.06% vs MS's -88.12%.
MS currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.84 vs 0.11), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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