Compare Stocks › MS vs SYF
Morgan Stanley (MS) vs Synchrony Financial (SYF)
MS
Morgan Stanley
$190.17
VS
SYF
Synchrony Financial
$75.76
Rewards
MS
- ★Gross margin of 87.4% 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 $3.11 of earning power — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
SYF
- ★Free cash flow has grown at a 13.7% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
- ★Share count has been reduced by 21% over the past 4 years through buybacks, increasing each share's claim on earnings.
- ★PEG ratio of 0.39 suggests the stock is undervalued relative to its growth rate — paying less than 1x for each unit of earnings growth.
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.
- ⚠Insiders have sold $17.7M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.
SYF
- ⚠Gross margin of 0.0% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
- ⚠Altman Z-Score of 0.58 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.
- ⚠13 insider sales totaling $33.7M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →MS
SYF
Valuation
N/A
Free Cash Flow
N/A
N/A
FCF Yield
N/A
17.21
Trailing P/E
7.84
15.02
Forward P/E
7.23
Quality & Moat
3.75%
ROIC
22.85%
14.42%
ROE
N/A
87.39%
Gross Margin
0.00%
0.54
PEG Ratio
0.39
Balance Sheet Safety
4.56
Debt / Equity
N/A
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
N/A
Net Debt / EBITDA
N/A
2.10%
Dividend Yield
1.58%
MS: 2Ties: 1SYF: 4
MSSYF
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.
SYF
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
SYF
$1.86
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Value Creator
Σ Retained
$7.86B
Δ Market Cap
+$14.58B
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
31.0% Margin of Safety
Price is 31.0% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $190.17
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $275.48
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
SYF
76.1% Margin of Safety
Price is 76.1% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $75.76
Strongly undervalued
Fairly valued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $317.53
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →MS
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
SYF
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →MS
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.
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.
SYF
45/100
Narrow Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Narrow moat with revenue predictability as the key competitive advantage. Improving reinvestment efficiency 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.
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.
SYF
-2.82
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 24.3%Institutions 63.0%Retail & Other 12.8%
No. of Institutional Holders3,167
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.
SYF
Insiders 0.4%Institutions 110.3%
No. of Institutional Holders1,373
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
SYF
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
4
Sells (3M)
17
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $74.11M
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$2.12M
@ $190.75 · 2026-04-20
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$2.78M
@ $189.24 · 2026-04-17
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$3.04M
@ $188.22 · 2026-04-16
SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL
President
$9.74M
@ $188.59 · 2026-04-16
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$6.02M
@ $182.61 · 2026-01-30
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
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$3.97M
@ $184.00 · 2026-01-20
PICK EDWARD N.
Chief Executive Officer
$16.43M
@ $164.34 · 2025-10-31
SMITH CHARLES AUBREY III
Officer
$2.81M
@ $140.30 · 2025-07-17
PIZZI MICHAEL A
Officer
$2.53M
@ $140.62 · 2025-07-17
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$1.69M
@ $141.12 · 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
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$5.00M
@ $136.61 · 2025-01-21
AKRAM RAJA
Chief Financial Officer
$2.38M
@ $136.01 · 2025-01-21
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$368,375
@ $105.25 · 2024-07-26
AKRAM RAJA
Officer
$797,764
@ $106.37 · 2024-07-18
HERZ ROBERT H
Director
$106,621
@ $106.62 · 2024-07-17
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$4.26M
@ $106.54 · 2024-07-17
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$692,663
@ $99.61 · 2024-05-14
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
SYF
13
Sells (3M)
26
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $47.67M
WENZEL BRIAN J SR.
Chief Financial Officer
$4.49M
@ $67.32 · 2026-03-03
CASELLAS ALBERTO B
Officer
$974,956
@ $67.71 · 2026-03-02
HOWSE CURTIS
Officer
$533,690
@ $67.71 · 2026-03-02
DOUBLES BRIAN D
Chief Executive Officer
$14.94M
@ $68.68 · 2026-03-02
JUEL CAROL D
Chief Technology Officer
$1.14M
@ $67.71 · 2026-03-02
SCHALLER BARTON W
Officer
$878,876
@ $67.71 · 2026-03-02
OWENS DARRELL
Officer
$261,699
@ $67.71 · 2026-03-02
GENTLEMAN COURTNEY
Officer
$293,726
@ $67.71 · 2026-03-02
CASELLAS ALBERTO B
Officer
$2.93M
@ $70.60 · 2026-02-17
JUEL CAROL D
Chief Operating Officer
$3.14M
@ $70.60 · 2026-02-17
SCHALLER BARTON W
Officer
$2.49M
@ $70.60 · 2026-02-17
OWENS DARRELL
Officer
$727,462
@ $70.60 · 2026-02-17
GENTLEMAN COURTNEY
Officer
$850,377
@ $70.60 · 2026-02-17
COVIELLO ARTHUR W JR
Director
$289,280
@ $72.32 · 2026-02-02
HOWSE CURTIS
Officer
$3.80M
@ $72.32 · 2026-02-02
MOTHNER JONATHAN S
Officer
$2.33M
@ $72.80 · 2025-11-17
COVIELLO ARTHUR W JR
Director
$591,440
@ $73.93 · 2025-11-03
HOWSE CURTIS
Officer
$894,606
@ $74.02 · 2025-11-03
OWENS DARRELL
Officer
$221,246
@ $74.02 · 2025-11-03
WENZEL BRIAN J SR.
Chief Financial Officer
$595,980
@ $70.00 · 2025-08-05
NAYLOR JEFFREY G
Director
$1.38M
@ $68.75 · 2025-08-05
OWENS DARRELL
Officer
$40,770
@ $67.95 · 2025-08-04
GENTLEMAN COURTNEY
Officer
$48,177
@ $67.95 · 2025-08-04
HOWSE CURTIS
Officer
$739,700
@ $65.00 · 2025-06-24
NAYLOR JEFFREY G
Director
$650,000
@ $65.00 · 2025-06-24
MOTHNER JONATHAN S
Officer
$2.44M
@ $60.07 · 2025-05-19
CASELLAS ALBERTO B
Officer
$3.48M
@ $60.01 · 2025-03-03
WENZEL BRIAN J SR.
Chief Financial Officer
$3.76M
@ $60.01 · 2025-03-03
HOWSE CURTIS
Officer
$2.04M
@ $60.01 · 2025-03-03
JUEL CAROL D
Officer
$5.41M
@ $59.19 · 2025-03-03
SCHALLER BARTON W
Officer
$4.45M
@ $59.18 · 2025-03-03
OWENS DARRELL
Officer
$664,611
@ $60.01 · 2025-03-03
GENTLEMAN COURTNEY
Officer
$600,700
@ $60.01 · 2025-03-03
DOUBLES BRIAN D
Chief Executive Officer
$8.94M
@ $60.09 · 2025-02-28
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
😏Greed(71/100)
"Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"
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.
SYF
😐Neutral(54/100)
"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: Greed (71)
SYF
⚪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 (54)