MS · a US exchange · USD · Market cap $339.6B · 84,000 employees
Morgan Stanley, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals in the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
FAIL · Does not pass the screen
216.24 USD
At the last full screen 2026-09-08
Screened 2026-09-08 · the tape above runs as of 22:12 UTC · 11 Sep · two dates, stated on purpose · verdict and workings shown in full · never trimmed
The Label · The Season, Not the Day
This name holds its markdown label.
Morgan Stanley holds its Markdown at $216.24. The statistical read favours the buyers, held for 3 days.
As held on the ledger · 2026-09-08
Phase
Markdown · caution
Quantitative state
The statistical read favours the buyers, held for 3 days
Price at the screen
$216.24
Valuation
17.45 trailing · 15.85 forward price to earnings
Values screen
FAIL· score 10.0
Beta
1.21
The Workings
Five Screens, Shown in Full
Does not pass. Business activity screen
Test
Figure
Limit
What it means
Status
Business activity
Excluded
Core business clean
Business activity: Financials sector
Fail
Five checks adapted from AAOIFI screening standards: business activity plus four balance-sheet ratios. All five must pass for ethical clearance. Every figure is arithmetic on public accounts, not judgement.
The Conscience Overlay
Conscience flag · BDS Movement
The quantitative screen above is arithmetic. Separately, community boycott lists cite this company: Cited by BDS movement for investment links and financial services connected to Israeli government bonds and companies operating in settlements. The desk records that flag here without folding it into the verdict: the screen measures the balance sheet, the overlay informs the conscience, and they are different judgements that belong to different owners. The second one is yours.
What the Numbers Say It Is Worth
The Fair Value Range
Our framework reads AVOID: it trades at roughly a 4% discount to our $223.82 fair value, moderate competitive moat, 28.00% revenue growth.
Fair value range in USD, drawn from the 2026-09-08 screen. The gold marker is the market price at the same screen. A 3.5% margin of safety to the base estimate.
Third-party analyst targets: 21 covering, consensus Buy. The average target sits +12% from the screen price.
Reading the gap · Both our model and the analysts see meaningful upside from here.
Price History & Projections
Where it has been, where the models see it going. History from market close data; projection points are our fair-value estimates and third-party analyst targets, dated to the 2026-09-08 screen.
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; the Street's range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
The Business, in Plain Words
Wall Street Giant Misses Ethical Mark
Imagine the ticker-tape parade of financial transactions that flow through Morgan Stanley's offices every day, a testament to its role as a Wall Street titan. Despite its dominance, Morgan Stanley fails to meet our ethical standards, a critical filter for our investment considerations. This is the primary reason we're steering clear, despite the allure of its financial performance.
The company's forward P/E of 15.2x and robust revenue growth of 28% would typically catch our eye, not to mention a healthy profit margin of 26% and an ROE of 18%, suggesting a well-oiled machine. However, these numbers are overshadowed by the fact that Morgan Stanley's business activities do not align with our ethical criteria, a non-negotiable aspect of our investment philosophy.
Risks are also noteworthy, with a moderate moat suggesting some competitive advantage but not an insurmountable one. The consensus rating from 21 analysts is a 'buy', with a median target price of $243, a figure that on the surface seems attractive but must be tempered with the ethical failings of the firm. The numbers say one thing, but ethics are the north star for our investments. Analysis, not advice.
The risks · The things to watch: it carries a real debt load, which raises the stakes if revenue slips.
Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.
Where & How to Trade
MS trades on a US exchange. As a listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering its home market. New to this, or investing from abroad? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.
The framework has shifted from markup to accumulation since the last review. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 5.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it A, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 20% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 61%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 30%. The street (21 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $237.
2026-08-06Markup · changed$218.27+3.0%Entry 5
The framework has shifted from accumulation to markup since the last review. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved up 3.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it A, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 20% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 61%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 30%. The street (21 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $203.
2026-07-18Accumulation$211.93+0.0%Entry 4
The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it A, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 20% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 61%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 30%. The street (21 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $203.
2026-07-15Accumulation$211.93+0.0%Entry 3
The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-07-03Accumulation$211.93+0.0%Entry 2
The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns.
2026-07-02Accumulation$211.93Entry 1
The framework reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.
