Compare Stocks › AMT vs MS
American Tower Corporation (AMT) vs Morgan Stanley (MS)
AMT
American Tower Corporation
$182.76
VS
MS
Morgan Stanley
$158.55
Rewards
AMT
- ★Gross margin of 74.2% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
- ★Free cash flow has grown at a 27.6% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
- ★Return on equity has consistently exceeded 20% over 4 years, indicating efficient use of shareholder capital.
MS
- ★Gross margin of 87.1% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
- ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $6.65 of market value — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
- ★PEG ratio of 0.75 suggests the stock is undervalued relative to its growth rate — paying less than 1x for each unit of earnings growth.
Risks
AMT
- ⚠FCF yield of 5.3% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.
- ⚠High leverage (4.34x debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
- ⚠Net debt/EBITDA of 6.3x indicates heavy leverage — it would take over 4 years of EBITDA to pay off net debt.
MS
- ⚠High leverage (4.56x debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
- ⚠Altman Z-Score of 0.29 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.
- ⚠7 insider sales totaling $25.2M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →AMT
MS
Valuation
$4.51B
Free Cash Flow
N/A
5.27%
FCF Yield
N/A
33.91
Trailing P/E
15.53
26.45
Forward P/E
12.89
Quality & Moat
6.83%
ROIC
3.43%
24.43%
ROE
14.42%
74.18%
Gross Margin
87.06%
N/A
PEG Ratio
0.75
Balance Sheet Safety
4.34
Debt / Equity
4.56
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
6.30
Net Debt / EBITDA
N/A
3.77%
Dividend Yield
2.52%
AMT: 3Ties: 2MS: 3
AMTMS
Historical Fundamentals
Learn more →AMT
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
MS
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
$1 Retained Earnings Test
Learn more →AMT
N/A
Net losses over 3 years — test not applicable
Company had negative cumulative retained earnings
Σ Retained
$-2.91B
Δ Market Cap
$-16.77B
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
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
MS
$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
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
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 →AMT
1072.0% Overvalued
Price is 1072.0% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $182.76
Strongly undervalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $15.59
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
MS
45.5% Margin of Safety
Price is 45.5% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $158.55
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $290.92
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →AMT
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $183?
+20.5%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +12.6%
The market implies +20.5% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.
Standard FCF implies a demanding +12.6%, reflecting heavy growth investment.
MS
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →AMT
51/100
Narrow Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Narrow moat with revenue predictability as the key competitive advantage. Improving roic consistency would strengthen the moat.
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.
MS
32/100
No Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
No durable moat detected, though revenue predictability shows some competitive positioning. The business lacks consistent evidence of sustainable advantages.
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.
Forensic Accounting
Learn more →AMT
-2.49
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.
MS
-2.09
Possible 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.
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.
Ownership Breakdown
Learn more →AMT
Insiders 0.2%Institutions 96.1%Retail & Other 3.8%
No. of Institutional Holders2,413
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.
MS
Insiders 24.0%Institutions 62.7%Retail & Other 13.3%
No. of Institutional Holders3,182
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.
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
Insider Buying Activity
Learn more →AMT
1
Buys (3M)
2
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $1.49M
KALATHUR RAJESH
Director
$494,936
@ $185.30 · 2026-03-10
REILLY EUGENE F
Director
$994,110
@ $178.99 · 2025-10-31
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
MS
0
Buys (3M)
1
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 →AMT
6
Sells (3M)
7
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $22.01M
VONDRAN STEVEN OWEN
Chief Executive Officer
$6.31M
@ $188.46 · 2026-03-04
DOWLING RUTH T
General Counsel
$128,564
@ $188.51 · 2026-03-04
NOEL EUGENE M
Chief Operating Officer
$7.87M
@ $191.05 · 2026-03-02
MEYER ROBERT JOSEPH JR
Officer
$831,695
@ $186.73 · 2026-02-27
DOWLING RUTH T
General Counsel
$122,121
@ $186.16 · 2026-02-27
SMITH RODNEY M
Chief Financial Officer
$6.60M
@ $192.09 · 2026-02-17
FONT JUAN HERNANDEZ
Officer
$149,998
@ $208.33 · 2025-07-31
GOEL SANJAY
Officer
$863,680
@ $215.92 · 2025-03-17
MEYER ROBERT JOSEPH JR
Officer
$1.14M
@ $201.67 · 2025-02-27
REEVE PAMELA D A
Director
$1.01M
@ $202.97 · 2025-02-26
SMITH RODNEY M
Chief Financial Officer
$3.14M
@ $189.70 · 2025-02-13
SMITH RODNEY M
Chief Financial Officer
$3.00M
@ $181.10 · 2025-01-16
GOEL SANJAY
Officer
$1.19M
@ $238.00 · 2024-09-13
NOEL EUGENE M
Officer
$7.95M
@ $240.00 · 2024-09-10
PUECH OLIVIER
Officer
$4.37M
@ $230.00 · 2024-09-03
PUECH OLIVIER
Officer
$2.26M
@ $226.35 · 2024-08-26
MEYER ROBERT JOSEPH JR
Officer
$508,020
@ $232.93 · 2024-08-02
VONDRAN STEVEN OWEN
Chief Executive Officer
$4.95M
@ $230.00 · 2024-08-02
PUECH OLIVIER
Officer
$2.33M
@ $233.27 · 2024-08-02
GOEL SANJAY
Officer
$1.13M
@ $235.39 · 2024-08-02
GOEL SANJAY
Officer
$702,061
@ $200.36 · 2024-06-04
HORMATS ROBERT D.
Director
$128,450
@ $183.50 · 2024-05-03
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
MS
7
Sells (3M)
16
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $62.45M
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$6.02M
@ $182.61 · 2026-01-30
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
PIZZI MICHAEL A
Officer
$3.69M
@ $184.55 · 2026-01-20
SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL
President
$5.57M
@ $183.62 · 2026-01-20
PICK EDWARD N.
Chief Executive Officer
$16.43M
@ $164.34 · 2025-10-31
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$1.69M
@ $141.12 · 2025-07-17
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$4.09M
@ $141.13 · 2025-07-17
SMITH CHARLES AUBREY III
Officer
$2.81M
@ $140.30 · 2025-07-17
PIZZI MICHAEL A
Officer
$2.53M
@ $140.62 · 2025-07-17
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$3.70M
@ $127.37 · 2025-05-12
HERZ ROBERT H
Director
$95,459
@ $119.32 · 2025-05-02
SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL
President
$4.80M
@ $120.00 · 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
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$1.78M
@ $136.20 · 2025-01-21
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$5.00M
@ $136.61 · 2025-01-21
AKRAM RAJA
Chief Financial Officer
$2.38M
@ $136.01 · 2025-01-21
PIZZI MICHAEL A
Officer
$2.52M
@ $136.92 · 2025-01-21
SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL
President
$4.20M
@ $136.43 · 2025-01-21
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$368,375
@ $105.25 · 2024-07-26
AKRAM RAJA
Officer
$797,764
@ $106.37 · 2024-07-18
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$4.26M
@ $106.54 · 2024-07-17
HERZ ROBERT H
Director
$106,621
@ $106.62 · 2024-07-17
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$692,663
@ $99.61 · 2024-05-14
GORMAN JAMES P
Officer and Director
$9.02M
@ $90.21 · 2024-04-18
SMITH CHARLES AUBREY III
Officer
$1.01M
@ $90.09 · 2024-04-17
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 →AMT
😐Neutral(41/100)
"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"
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.
MS
😐Neutral(48/100)
"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"
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.
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 →AMT
⚪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 (41)
MS
⚪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 (48)