Compare Stocks › FDS vs MS

FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS) vs Morgan Stanley (MS): Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

As of 2026-08-03, FDS is undervalued at $263, with a DCF intrinsic value of $445 and a margin of safety of 41%. MS is undervalued at $210, with an intrinsic value of $269 and a margin of safety of 22%. Of the two, FDS has the wider margin of safety.

FDS

FactSet Research Systems Inc.

$263.20

Morgan Stanley

$210.42

Rewards

FDS

★FactSet Research Systems Inc. has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
★FactSet Research Systems Inc. scores 95/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
★Return on equity has consistently exceeded 20% over 4 years, indicating efficient use of shareholder capital.

★Gross margin of 87.6% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
★Morgan Stanley scores 80/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $3.56 of earning power — management is an exceptional capital allocator.

Risks

FDS

⚠FCF yield of 6.6% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.

⚠Altman Z-Score of 0.29 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.
⚠Insiders have sold $5.4M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.

Key Valuation Metrics

Learn more →

FDS

Valuation

$621.16M

Free Cash Flow

N/A

6.64%

FCF Yield

N/A

17.33

Trailing P/E

17.01

13.36

Forward P/E

15.45

Quality & Moat

16.33%

ROIC

3.68%

27.03%

ROE

14.08%

51.38%

Gross Margin

87.64%

1.21

PEG Ratio

1.99

Balance Sheet Safety

0.62

Net Debt / Equity

Net cash

N/A

Interest Coverage

N/A

1.36

Net Debt / EBITDA

N/A

1.76%

Dividend Yield

2.19%

FDS: 4Ties: 2MS: 3

FDSMS

Historical Fundamentals

Learn more →

FDS

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

Learn more →

FDS

$-3.76

created per $1 retained over 3 years

Market Cap Declined

Σ Retained

$1.15B

Δ Market Cap

$-4.34B

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

$6.65

created per $1 retained over 3 years

Exceptional Value Creator

Σ Retained

$20.84B

Δ Market Cap

+$138.59B

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

Learn more →

FDS

40.9% Margin of Safety

Price is 40.9% below estimated fair value

Current Price: $263.20

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

Fair Value: $445.37

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

21.9% Margin of Safety

Price is 21.9% below estimated fair value

Current Price: $210.42

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

Fair Value: $269.50

Strongly undervalued

Undervalued

Fairly valued

Overvalued

Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

Learn more →

FDS

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $263?

+4.4%

Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth

Standard FCF implies +5.6%

The market implies +4.4% Owner Earnings growth, below historical trends — potential opportunity.

Standard FCF implies a more demanding +5.6%, reflecting heavy growth investment expected to generate future returns.

Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.

Economic Moat Score

Learn more →

FDS

95/100

Wide Moat

70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Revenue Predictability is the standout factor.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.

80/100

Wide Moat

70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat driven primarily by revenue predictability. Margin Stability is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.

Forensic Accounting

Learn more →

FDS

-2.40

Unlikely Manipulator

Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

-2.09

Possible Manipulator

Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Ownership Breakdown

Learn more →

FDS

Insiders 0.4%Institutions 109.7%

No. of Institutional Holders1,006

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insiders 24.4%Institutions 63.1%Retail & Other 12.5%

No. of Institutional Holders3,329

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

Learn more →

FDS

Buys (3M)

Buys (12M)

Total value (12M): $328,394

SKOKO GORAN

Officer

$126,465

@ $252.93 · 2025-11-06

SHAN HELEN L

Chief Financial Officer

$101,928

@ $275.48 · 2025-10-06

MCLOUGHLIN CHRISTOPHER

Officer

$100,001

@ $296.74 · 2025-09-23

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Buys (3M)

Buys (12M)

Total value (12M): $5,630

PETERSON DOUGLAS L

Director

$5,630

@ $156.39 · 2025-10-17

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

Learn more →

FDS

Sells (3M)

Sells (12M)

Total value (12M): $1.52M

FRANK MALCOLM

Director

$760,547

@ $295.70 · 2026-01-12

SIEGEL LAURIE A

Director

$761,944

@ $296.25 · 2026-01-08

EILAM BARAK

Director

$283.00

@ $283.00 · 2025-10-03

MCGONIGLE JAMES J. III

Director

$1.32M

@ $451.39 · 2025-07-14

MOSKOFF GREGORY T

Officer

$1.11M

@ $442.60 · 2025-07-09

ELLIS CHRISTOPHER R

Officer

$3.40M

@ $446.84 · 2025-07-08

SNOW FREDERICK PHILIP

Chief Executive Officer

$1.34M

@ $445.12 · 2025-07-01

SNOW FREDERICK PHILIP

Chief Executive Officer

$1.36M

@ $454.58 · 2025-06-02

SNOW FREDERICK PHILIP

Chief Executive Officer

$1.29M

@ $431.09 · 2025-05-01

SNOW FREDERICK PHILIP

Chief Executive Officer

$1.36M

@ $454.86 · 2025-04-01

MOSKOFF GREGORY T

Officer

$157,604

@ $434.17 · 2025-03-24

STEPP KATHERINE M

Chief Technology Officer

$733,561

@ $425.25 · 2025-03-21

SNOW FREDERICK PHILIP

Chief Executive Officer

$1.39M

@ $464.79 · 2025-03-03

SNOW FREDERICK PHILIP

Chief Executive Officer

$1.41M

@ $469.14 · 2025-02-03

SNOW FREDERICK PHILIP

Chief Executive Officer

$1.45M

@ $484.33 · 2025-01-02

SNOW FREDERICK PHILIP

Chief Executive Officer

$1.47M

@ $489.18 · 2024-12-02

ROBIE ROBERT J

Officer

$1.94M

@ $484.96 · 2024-11-12

COSTIGAN JOHN

Officer

$780,174

@ $481.00 · 2024-11-11

SNOW FREDERICK PHILIP

Chief Executive Officer

$1.36M

@ $453.68 · 2024-11-01

SNOW FREDERICK PHILIP

Chief Executive Officer

$1.37M

@ $455.09 · 2024-10-01

SIEGEL LAURIE A

Director

$615,277

@ $459.85 · 2024-09-26

FRANK MALCOLM

Director

$1.30M

@ $457.85 · 2024-09-26

ELLIS CHRISTOPHER R

Officer

$6.36M

@ $456.15 · 2024-09-26

MCGONIGLE JAMES J. III

Director

$2.47M

@ $456.83 · 2024-09-26

SNOW FREDERICK PHILIP

Chief Executive Officer

$1.25M

@ $416.59 · 2024-09-03

HARDING CATRINA

Officer

$184,806

@ $407.96 · 2024-08-05

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Sells (3M)

Sells (12M)

Total value (12M): $64.71M

SCHAPIRO MARY L

Director

$212,055

@ $212.06 · 2026-07-28

PIZZI MICHAEL A

Officer

$5.21M

@ $215.55 · 2026-07-17

GROSSMAN ERIC F

Officer

$2.12M

@ $190.75 · 2026-04-20

SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A

President

$2.78M

@ $189.24 · 2026-04-17

SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL

President

$9.74M

@ $188.59 · 2026-04-16

CRAWLEY MANDELL L.

Officer

$3.04M

@ $188.22 · 2026-04-16

SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A

President

$6.02M

@ $182.61 · 2026-01-30

PIZZI MICHAEL A

Officer

$3.69M

@ $184.55 · 2026-01-20

SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL

President

$5.57M

@ $183.62 · 2026-01-20

GROSSMAN ERIC F

Officer

$3.97M

@ $184.00 · 2026-01-20

CRAWLEY MANDELL L.

Officer

$1.44M

@ $183.45 · 2026-01-20

YESHAYA SHARON

Chief Financial Officer

$2.94M

@ $185.77 · 2026-01-20

SMITH CHARLES AUBREY III

Officer

$1.55M

@ $182.08 · 2026-01-20

PICK EDWARD N.

Chief Executive Officer

$16.43M

@ $164.34 · 2025-10-31

PIZZI MICHAEL A

Officer

$2.53M

@ $140.62 · 2025-07-17

GROSSMAN ERIC F

Officer

$1.69M

@ $141.12 · 2025-07-17

SMITH CHARLES AUBREY III

Officer

$2.81M

@ $140.30 · 2025-07-17

SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A

President

$4.09M

@ $141.13 · 2025-07-17

SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A

President

$3.70M

@ $127.37 · 2025-05-12

SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL

President

$4.80M

@ $120.00 · 2025-05-02

HERZ ROBERT H

Director

$95,459

@ $119.32 · 2025-05-02

GROSSMAN ERIC F

Officer

$1.12M

@ $111.65 · 2025-04-15

CRAWLEY MANDELL L.

Officer

$1.15M

@ $138.06 · 2025-01-22

PIZZI MICHAEL A

Officer

$2.52M

@ $136.92 · 2025-01-21

SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL

President

$4.20M

@ $136.43 · 2025-01-21

GROSSMAN ERIC F

Officer

$1.78M

@ $136.20 · 2025-01-21

AKRAM RAJA

Chief Financial Officer

$2.38M

@ $136.01 · 2025-01-21

SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A

President

$5.00M

@ $136.61 · 2025-01-21

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

Learn more →

FDS

😨Fear(30/100)

"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

😐Neutral(57/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

⚖️ Buffett Signal

Learn more →

FDS

⚪Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Fear (30)

⚪Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (57)

View FDS Full Analysis View MS Full Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions: FDS vs MS

Is FactSet Research Systems Inc. or Morgan Stanley more undervalued in 2026?▼

Based on our discounted cash flow model, FDS trades at a 40.9% margin of safety (intrinsic value $445 vs. price $263), compared to MS's 21.9% margin of safety (intrinsic $269 vs. $210).

Which stock has a wider economic moat, FactSet Research Systems Inc. or Morgan Stanley?▼

FDS scores 95/100 (Wide moat), while MS scores 80/100 (Wide moat). The moat score measures competitive advantage durability across ROIC consistency, margin stability, revenue predictability, and reinvestment efficiency.

Is Morgan Stanley in financial distress?▼

MS's Altman Z-Score of 0.3 places it in the Distress zone, signaling elevated bankruptcy risk. FDS scores 5.0 (Safe zone). The Altman Z-Score is a five-factor model that predicts insolvency within two years; scores below 1.81 indicate significant distress.

Which stock has higher return on invested capital, FactSet Research Systems Inc. or Morgan Stanley?▼

FDS earns 16.3% ROIC versus MS's 3.7%. A higher ROIC means the company generates more profit per dollar of capital employed, a hallmark of durable competitive advantage in Buffett-style analysis.

Which dividend is safer, FactSet Research Systems Inc.'s or Morgan Stanley's?▼

FDS's dividend earns a safety score of 94/100 (Very Safe), compared to MS's 79/100 (Safe). FDS has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years.