Compare StocksMS vs VLTO

Morgan Stanley (MS) vs Veralto Corporation (VLTO)

MS
Morgan Stanley
$190.17
VS
VLTO
Veralto Corporation
$87.63

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.
VLTO
  • Veralto Corporation has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • Veralto Corporation scores 92/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with margin stability as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • Return on equity has consistently exceeded 20% over 4 years, indicating efficient use of shareholder capital.

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.
VLTO
  • Each dollar of retained earnings has produced only $0.44 of earning power — shareholders may have been better served by dividends.

Key Valuation Metrics

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MS
VLTO
Valuation
N/A
Free Cash Flow
$1.01B
N/A
FCF Yield
4.71%
17.21
Trailing P/E
22.59
15.02
Forward P/E
18.87
Quality & Moat
3.75%
ROIC
17.87%
14.42%
ROE
31.27%
87.39%
Gross Margin
59.86%
0.54
PEG Ratio
1.70
Balance Sheet Safety
4.56
Debt / Equity
0.96
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
N/A
Net Debt / EBITDA
1.05
2.10%
Dividend Yield
0.59%
MS: 5Ties: 1VLTO: 3
MSVLTO

Historical Fundamentals

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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.

VLTO

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

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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
VLTO
$2.87
created per $1 retained over 2 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$1.57B
Δ Market Cap
+$4.52B
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

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

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MS
31.0% Margin of Safety
Price is 31.0% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $190.17
Fair Value: $275.48
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
VLTO
4.5% Overvalued
Price is 4.5% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $87.63
Fair Value: $83.85
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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MS

Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.

VLTO

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $88?

+10.4%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +9.4%

The market implies +10.4% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +9.4%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

Economic Moat Score

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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.
VLTO
92/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Margin Stability 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.

Forensic Accounting

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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.
VLTO
-2.47
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

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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.
VLTO
Insiders 0.2%Institutions 99.5%Retail & Other 0.3%
No. of Institutional Holders1,524
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

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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
VLTO
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

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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
VLTO
1
Sells (3M)
6
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $3.05M
AQUINO MELISSA
Officer
$1.43M
@ $96.60 · 2026-02-27
BYSTROM MATTIAS
Officer
$101,730
@ $101.73 · 2025-12-01
HONEYCUTT JENNIFER L
Chief Executive Officer
$1.13M
@ $106.26 · 2025-08-29
TRIVEDI SUREKHA
Officer
$85,266
@ $100.55 · 2025-06-02
BENETEAU LESLEY
Officer
$46,185
@ $100.84 · 2025-05-15
BYSTROM MATTIAS
Officer
$249,906
@ $99.96 · 2025-05-12
SKEETE BERNARD M
Officer
$42,480
@ $94.40 · 2025-05-01
AQUINO MELISSA
Officer
$2.97M
@ $93.67 · 2025-05-01
TRIVEDI SUREKHA
Officer
$56,959
@ $96.54 · 2025-05-01
HONEYCUTT JENNIFER L
Chief Executive Officer
$989,710
@ $95.00 · 2025-04-30
TRIVEDI SUREKHA
Officer
$57,260
@ $97.05 · 2025-04-01
HONEYCUTT JENNIFER L
Chief Executive Officer
$1.03M
@ $98.56 · 2025-03-24
HONEYCUTT JENNIFER L
Chief Executive Officer
$1.05M
@ $100.35 · 2025-02-25
TRIVEDI SUREKHA
Officer
$59,206
@ $100.35 · 2025-02-25
AQUINO MELISSA
Officer
$46,115
@ $99.60 · 2025-02-11
SKEETE BERNARD M
Officer
$21,756
@ $108.78 · 2024-11-26
TRIVEDI SUREKHA
Officer
$77,388
@ $102.91 · 2024-11-01
TRIVEDI SUREKHA
Officer
$84,750
@ $112.55 · 2024-10-01
HONEYCUTT JENNIFER L
Chief Executive Officer
$1.45M
@ $110.15 · 2024-09-30
TRIVEDI SUREKHA
Officer
$83,658
@ $111.10 · 2024-09-03
HONEYCUTT JENNIFER L
Chief Executive Officer
$1.48M
@ $111.98 · 2024-08-30
TRIVEDI SUREKHA
Officer
$813,890
@ $110.00 · 2024-08-21
TRIVEDI SUREKHA
Officer
$80,360
@ $106.72 · 2024-08-01
HONEYCUTT JENNIFER L
Chief Executive Officer
$1.39M
@ $105.17 · 2024-07-30
BYSTROM MATTIAS
Officer
$317,670
@ $105.89 · 2024-07-29
BYSTROM MATTIAS
Officer
$30,315
@ $100.38 · 2024-05-23
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

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MS
FearGreed
😏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.
VLTO
FearGreed
😐Neutral(42/100)

"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

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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)
VLTO
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 (42)
View MS Full AnalysisView VLTO Full Analysis
MS vs VLTO: Which Is the Better Buy? | SafetyMargin.io