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Stock Comparison · Clear separation

Morgan Stanley vs Standard Chartered: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Morgan Stanley holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across profitability and growth. Standard Chartered does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels.

Updated 2026-04-05

Most of the lead runs through profitability, while growth helps make the separation broader. The overall score gap is 17 points in favour of Morgan Stanley.

Trajectory Similarity
0.82
Similar
Peer-set rank: #10
within Morgan Stanley's functional peer set

This comparison is anchored in long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

The pair sits on a clearly comparable long-term path, though it is not a near-twin match.

The clearest structural overlap shows up in margin consistency and capital structure.

Similarity drivers
margin consistencycapital structure
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
MS
Morgan Stanley
58
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
vs
STAN.L
Standard Chartered PLC
41
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: MS vs STAN.L Profitability 47 0 Stability 46 50 Valuation 73 77 Growth 65 37 MS STAN.L
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +47
#2 Growth +28
#3 Valuation +4
#4 Stability +4
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for MS and STAN.L Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer MSSTAN.L Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup stays mixed because structure and the price setup do not align cleanly in one direction.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
Morgan Stanley sits higher in the group on profitability, adding to the overall structural advantage.
Growth
On growth, Morgan Stanley ranks near the top of the group; Standard Chartered PLC sits in the weaker half.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
MS
47
STAN.L
0
Gap+47in favour of MS

The profitability lead is mainly driven by a 18.2-point operating margin advantage.

What else supports the lead

Earnings growth is one contributing factor within the growth lead.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both profitability and growth, making it broader than a single-dimension result.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the MS vs STAN.L comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

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Similar profitability-and-growth comparisons

Explore how MS and STAN.L each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.