Compare Stocks › MS vs TJX
Morgan Stanley (MS) vs The TJX Companies, Inc. (TJX)
MS
Morgan Stanley
$158.55
VS
TJX
The TJX Companies, Inc.
$154.68
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.
TJX
- ★The TJX Companies, Inc. has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
- ★The TJX Companies, Inc. scores 94/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
- ★Free cash flow has grown at a 27.8% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power 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.
- ⚠7 insider sales totaling $25.2M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
TJX
- ⚠FCF yield of 2.3% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →MS
TJX
Valuation
N/A
Free Cash Flow
$3.94B
N/A
FCF Yield
2.29%
15.53
Trailing P/E
31.76
12.89
Forward P/E
27.30
Quality & Moat
3.43%
ROIC
26.72%
14.42%
ROE
53.92%
87.06%
Gross Margin
30.96%
0.75
PEG Ratio
1.12
Balance Sheet Safety
4.56
Debt / Equity
1.32
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
N/A
Net Debt / EBITDA
0.86
2.52%
Dividend Yield
1.10%
MS: 5Ties: 1TJX: 3
MSTJX
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.
TJX
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
TJX
$9.31
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$8.37B
Δ Market Cap
+$77.92B
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
TJX
82.0% Overvalued
Price is 82.0% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $154.68
Strongly undervalued
Fairly valued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $85.01
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →MS
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
TJX
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $155?
+18.9%
Market-Implied FCF Growth Rate
Market roughly matching historical growth — reasonable.
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.
TJX
94/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency 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 5 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.
TJX
-2.44
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.
TJX
Insiders 0.1%Institutions 93.1%Retail & Other 6.8%
No. of Institutional Holders3,419
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
TJX
1
Buys (3M)
2
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $4,199
ALVAREZ JOSE B
Director
$734.00
@ $183.50 · 2026-03-05
ALVAREZ JOSE B
Director
$3,465
@ $133.27 · 2025-12-04
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
TJX
1
Sells (3M)
7
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $14.09M
HERRMAN ERNIE L
Chief Executive Officer
$4.83M
@ $160.95 · 2026-03-02
HERRMAN ERNIE L
Chief Executive Officer
$8.15M
@ $149.93 · 2025-11-21
LANE AMY BETH
Director
$75,700
@ $151.40 · 2025-11-21
BENJAMIN PETER
Officer
$208,845
@ $139.23 · 2025-09-08
NEMEROV JACKWYN L
Director
$164,496
@ $138.00 · 2025-09-02
LANE AMY BETH
Director
$121,689
@ $128.09 · 2025-06-03
BENJAMIN PETER
Officer
$535,042
@ $129.77 · 2025-05-22
HERRMAN ERNIE L
Chief Executive Officer
$2.10M
@ $116.54 · 2025-03-20
HERRMAN ERNIE L
Chief Executive Officer
$2.88M
@ $123.04 · 2025-03-05
BENNETT ALAN M
Director
$988,254
@ $123.53 · 2025-02-27
HERRMAN ERNIE L
Chief Executive Officer
$950,551
@ $126.18 · 2024-12-05
LANE AMY BETH
Director
$126,925
@ $126.92 · 2024-11-27
HERRMAN ERNIE L
Chief Executive Officer
$2.32M
@ $121.27 · 2024-11-22
NEMEROV JACKWYN L
Director
$139,252
@ $117.71 · 2024-09-12
HERRMAN ERNIE L
Chief Executive Officer
$1.76M
@ $117.54 · 2024-09-10
HERRMAN ERNIE L
Chief Executive Officer
$2.41M
@ $120.47 · 2024-08-22
GREENLEES LOUISE E.
Officer
$555,635
@ $119.23 · 2024-08-22
CHING DAVID T
Director
$1.55M
@ $119.39 · 2024-08-22
KLINGER JOHN
Chief Financial Officer
$713,116
@ $105.10 · 2024-06-03
CANESTRARI KENNETH D
Officer
$1.12M
@ $104.01 · 2024-05-30
GREENLEES LOUISE E.
Officer
$831,277
@ $101.74 · 2024-05-29
LANE AMY BETH
Director
$153,102
@ $102.07 · 2024-05-28
HERRMAN ERNIE L
Chief Executive Officer
$2.04M
@ $102.17 · 2024-05-24
CANESTRARI KENNETH D
Officer
$2.03M
@ $100.00 · 2024-05-23
HERRMAN ERNIE L
Chief Executive Officer
$1.98M
@ $98.98 · 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.
TJX
😏Greed(61/100)
"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.
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)
TJX
⚪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 (61)