Compare Stocks › MS vs NUE
Morgan Stanley (MS) vs Nucor Corporation (NUE)
MS
Morgan Stanley
$158.55
VS
NUE
Nucor Corporation
$161.95
Rewards
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.
NUE
- ★PEG ratio of 0.63 suggests the stock is undervalued relative to its growth rate — paying less than 1x for each unit of earnings growth.
- ★Altman Z-Score of 4.42 indicates very low bankruptcy risk — the company is firmly in the safe zone.
Risks
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.
NUE
- ⚠ROIC has declined by 25.6 percentage points over the observed period, which may signal competitive erosion.
- ⚠Gross margin of 12.0% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
- ⚠Nucor Corporation scores only 29/100 on the Economic Moat Score, suggesting limited durable competitive advantages.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →MS
NUE
Valuation
N/A
Free Cash Flow
$-903.37M
N/A
FCF Yield
-2.44%
15.53
Trailing P/E
21.56
12.89
Forward P/E
11.80
Quality & Moat
3.43%
ROIC
6.00%
14.42%
ROE
7.88%
87.06%
Gross Margin
12.03%
0.75
PEG Ratio
0.63
Balance Sheet Safety
4.56
Debt / Equity
0.33
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
N/A
Net Debt / EBITDA
1.10
2.52%
Dividend Yield
1.38%
MS: 4Ties: 1NUE: 4
MSNUE
Historical Fundamentals
Learn more →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.
NUE
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 →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
NUE
$0.57
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Mediocre Allocator
Σ Retained
$6.75B
Δ Market Cap
+$3.83B
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 →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
NUE
15.4% Margin of Safety
Price is 15.4% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $161.95
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $191.39
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →MS
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
NUE
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →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.
NUE
29/100
No Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
No durable moat detected, though reinvestment efficiency 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 →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.
NUE
-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.
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 →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.
NUE
Insiders 3.2%Institutions 78.6%Retail & Other 18.2%
No. of Institutional Holders1,740
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 →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
NUE
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
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 →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
NUE
4
Sells (3M)
17
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $24.87M
QUERY KENNETH REX
Officer
$1.46M
@ $196.02 · 2026-02-11
BEHR ALLEN C.
Officer
$2.78M
@ $184.80 · 2026-02-03
NEEDHAM DANIEL R.
Officer
$690,818
@ $178.00 · 2026-01-30
BATTERBEE THOMAS J.
Officer
$330,550
@ $165.28 · 2025-12-23
TOPALIAN LEON J
Chief Executive Officer
$789,950
@ $157.99 · 2025-12-19
BEHR ALLEN C.
Officer
$939,446
@ $157.89 · 2025-12-19
HOLLATZ JOHN J
Officer
$1.05M
@ $149.88 · 2025-11-12
BEHR ALLEN C.
Officer
$1.37M
@ $151.28 · 2025-10-30
LAXTON STEPHEN D.
Chief Financial Officer
$303,599
@ $151.57 · 2025-10-30
KELLER MICHAEL D
Officer
$903,522
@ $148.41 · 2025-08-22
QUERY KENNETH REX
Officer
$1.45M
@ $144.90 · 2025-08-18
NEEDHAM DANIEL R.
Officer
$1.05M
@ $146.00 · 2025-08-18
TOPALIAN LEON J
Chief Executive Officer
$4.27M
@ $143.27 · 2025-07-31
BEHR ALLEN C.
Officer
$1.15M
@ $143.38 · 2025-07-31
QUERY KENNETH REX
Officer
$1.30M
@ $130.37 · 2025-06-26
NEEDHAM DANIEL R.
Officer
$906,343
@ $127.87 · 2025-06-24
TOPALIAN LEON J
Chief Executive Officer
$4.11M
@ $120.19 · 2025-05-01
BEHR ALLEN C.
Officer
$793,470
@ $159.72 · 2024-11-11
TOPALIAN LEON J
Chief Executive Officer
$1.86M
@ $169.11 · 2024-11-06
MURPHY GREGORY JOSEPH
Officer
$1.04M
@ $167.82 · 2024-11-06
LAXTON STEPHEN D.
Chief Financial Officer
$798,815
@ $169.53 · 2024-11-06
QUERY KENNETH REX
Officer
$1.32M
@ $146.80 · 2024-10-29
NEEDHAM DANIEL R.
Officer
$1.38M
@ $160.00 · 2024-07-31
UTERMARK DOUGLAS CHAD
Officer
$6.46M
@ $195.33 · 2024-03-22
KELLER MICHAEL D
Officer
$609,091
@ $193.67 · 2024-03-21
JELLISON DOUGLAS J.
Officer
$3.77M
@ $193.41 · 2024-03-21
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 →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.
NUE
😐Neutral(49/100)
"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 →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)
NUE
⚪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 (49)