Is Morgan Stanley (MS) Surpassing Other Financial Stocks in Performance This Year?
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Aug 26 2025
0mins
Should l Buy MS?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Morgan Stanley's Performance: Morgan Stanley (MS) has shown a year-to-date return of 17.4%, outperforming the average return of 11.8% for Finance companies.
Zacks Rank and Earnings Outlook: The stock holds a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), indicating an improving earnings outlook, with a 2.8% increase in full-year earnings estimates over the past three months.
Comparison with Aviva: Aviva (AVVIY) has significantly outperformed the sector with a return of 57.1% this year, also holding a Zacks Rank of #2.
Industry Rankings: Morgan Stanley is part of the Financial - Investment Bank industry, ranked #12, while Aviva belongs to the Insurance - Life Insurance industry, currently ranked #101.
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Analyst Views on MS
Wall Street analysts forecast MS stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for MS is 185.00 USD with a low forecast of 132.00 USD and a high forecast of 219.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
14 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
7 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 175.840
Low
132.00
Averages
185.00
High
219.00
Current: 175.840
Low
132.00
Averages
185.00
High
219.00
About MS
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services company. The Company is engaged in providing a range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. Its segments include Institutional Securities, Wealth Management and Investment Management. Its Institutional Securities segment provides a variety of products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions and ultra-high net worth clients. Its Wealth Management segment provides an array of financial services and solutions to individual investors and small to medium-sized businesses and institutions. Its Investment Management segment provides a range of investment strategies and products that span geographies, asset classes, and public and private markets to a diverse group of clients across institutional and intermediary channels. Its investment banking services consist of capital raising and financial advisory services, including the underwriting of debt and other products.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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