Compare Stocks › MS vs WM
Morgan Stanley (MS) vs Waste Management, Inc. (WM)
MS
Morgan Stanley
$190.17
VS
WM
Waste Management, Inc.
$228.77
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.
WM
- ★Waste Management, Inc. has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
- ★Waste Management, Inc. scores 81/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with margin stability as the strongest competitive dimension.
- ★Free cash flow has grown at a 13.1% 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.
- ⚠Insiders have sold $17.7M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.
WM
- ⚠PEG ratio of 2.49 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
- ⚠High leverage (2.28x debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
- ⚠17 insider sales totaling $21.8M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →MS
WM
Valuation
N/A
Free Cash Flow
$2.82B
N/A
FCF Yield
3.07%
17.21
Trailing P/E
33.11
15.02
Forward P/E
24.74
Quality & Moat
3.75%
ROIC
10.69%
14.42%
ROE
27.02%
87.39%
Gross Margin
40.61%
0.54
PEG Ratio
2.49
Balance Sheet Safety
4.56
Debt / Equity
2.28
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
N/A
Net Debt / EBITDA
2.97
2.10%
Dividend Yield
1.49%
MS: 5Ties: 1WM: 3
MSWM
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.
WM
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
WM
$6.02
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$4.08B
Δ Market Cap
+$24.54B
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
WM
63.2% Overvalued
Price is 63.2% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $228.77
Strongly undervalued
Fairly valued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $140.21
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →MS
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
WM
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $229?
+17.9%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +17.4%
The market implies +17.9% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.
Standard FCF implies a demanding +17.4%, reflecting heavy growth investment.
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.
WM
81/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Wide moat driven primarily by margin stability. Reinvestment Efficiency 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.
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.
WM
-2.80
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.
WM
Insiders 0.3%Institutions 84.1%Retail & Other 15.6%
No. of Institutional Holders3,038
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
WM
0
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $392,840
MENKE SEAN EDWARD
Director
$392,840
@ $196.42 · 2025-11-03
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
WM
17
Sells (3M)
33
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $37.73M
MORRIS JOHN J JR.
President
$1.02M
@ $243.38 · 2026-03-09
CARROLL JOHN A
Officer
$11,529
@ $245.30 · 2026-03-09
DESANTIS CHRISTOPHER P
Officer
$14,976
@ $245.51 · 2026-03-09
VARKEY JOHNSON
Chief Technology Officer
$29,677
@ $245.26 · 2026-03-09
REED DAVID L.
Chief Financial Officer
$18,394
@ $245.25 · 2026-03-09
MORRIS JOHN J JR.
President
$1.96M
@ $245.07 · 2026-03-06
VARKEY JOHNSON
Chief Technology Officer
$150,628
@ $244.13 · 2026-03-03
STITH KIMBERLY G.
Officer
$5,106
@ $243.14 · 2026-03-02
REED DAVID L.
Chief Financial Officer
$5,096
@ $242.67 · 2026-03-02
HEMMER TARA J
Officer
$1.17M
@ $241.83 · 2026-03-02
WATSON MICHAEL J.
Officer
$4.17M
@ $241.81 · 2026-03-02
CARROLL JOHN A
Officer
$8,491
@ $229.49 · 2026-02-26
REED DAVID L.
Chief Financial Officer
$8,498
@ $229.68 · 2026-02-26
SMITH DONALD J
Officer
$2.85M
@ $233.48 · 2026-02-17
CARRASCO RAFAEL
Officer
$1.72M
@ $234.50 · 2026-02-13
CARROLL JOHN A
Officer
$239,634
@ $234.71 · 2026-02-11
FISH JAMES C JR
Chief Executive Officer
$8.47M
@ $230.43 · 2026-02-10
BOETTCHER CHARLES C
Officer
$151,111
@ $219.32 · 2026-01-30
MORRIS JOHN J JR.
President
$151,445
@ $219.49 · 2026-01-30
CARRASCO RAFAEL
Officer
$151,114
@ $219.01 · 2026-01-30
SMITH DONALD J
Officer
$151,514
@ $219.59 · 2026-01-30
CARROLL JOHN A
Officer
$48,306
@ $219.57 · 2026-01-30
DESANTIS CHRISTOPHER P
Officer
$47,053
@ $218.85 · 2026-01-30
VARKEY JOHNSON
Chief Technology Officer
$94,004
@ $219.64 · 2026-01-30
STITH KIMBERLY G.
Officer
$34,485
@ $219.65 · 2026-01-30
REED DAVID L.
Chief Financial Officer
$59,028
@ $218.62 · 2026-01-30
HEMMER TARA J
Officer
$151,596
@ $219.70 · 2026-01-30
WATSON MICHAEL J.
Officer
$150,996
@ $219.79 · 2026-01-30
CARRASCO RAFAEL
Officer
$299,543
@ $217.06 · 2025-11-20
STITH KIMBERLY G.
Officer
$22,520
@ $225.20 · 2025-09-04
CARRASCO RAFAEL
Officer
$465,840
@ $240.00 · 2025-05-30
CARRASCO RAFAEL
Officer
$159,610
@ $236.81 · 2025-05-27
RANKIN DEVINA A
Chief Financial Officer
$13.74M
@ $237.36 · 2025-05-27
MORRIS JOHN J JR.
Chief Operating Officer
$5.55M
@ $233.32 · 2025-05-02
MORRIS JOHN J JR.
Chief Operating Officer
$4.30M
@ $224.71 · 2025-03-07
CARROLL JOHN A
Officer
$282,626
@ $225.92 · 2025-03-07
CARRASCO RAFAEL
Officer
$212,540
@ $229.03 · 2025-03-06
RANKIN DEVINA A
Chief Financial Officer
$941,182
@ $228.11 · 2025-03-05
HEMMER TARA J
Officer
$705,772
@ $228.11 · 2025-03-05
WATSON MICHAEL J.
Officer
$352,886
@ $228.11 · 2025-03-05
SMITH DONALD J
Officer
$10,097
@ $234.81 · 2025-03-03
CARROLL JOHN A
Officer
$11,034
@ $234.77 · 2025-03-03
DESANTIS CHRISTOPHER P
Officer
$10,567
@ $234.82 · 2025-03-03
VARKEY JOHNSON
Chief Technology Officer
$29,134
@ $234.95 · 2025-03-03
STITH KIMBERLY G.
Officer
$14,556
@ $234.77 · 2025-03-03
FISH JAMES C JR
Chief Executive Officer
$10.14M
@ $228.43 · 2025-02-24
WATSON MICHAEL J.
Officer
$1.30M
@ $227.51 · 2025-02-24
CARRASCO RAFAEL
Officer
$903,562
@ $225.89 · 2025-02-07
VARKEY JOHNSON
Officer
$70,892
@ $222.93 · 2025-02-04
RANKIN DEVINA A
Chief Financial Officer
$1.29M
@ $222.12 · 2025-02-04
HEMMER TARA J
Officer
$1.02M
@ $222.12 · 2025-02-04
BOETTCHER CHARLES C
Officer
$152,870
@ $220.59 · 2025-01-31
MORRIS JOHN J JR.
Chief Operating Officer
$152,869
@ $220.59 · 2025-01-31
CARRASCO RAFAEL
Officer
$152,758
@ $220.43 · 2025-01-31
SMITH DONALD J
Officer
$42,062
@ $220.22 · 2025-01-31
CARROLL JOHN A
Officer
$46,095
@ $220.55 · 2025-01-31
DESANTIS CHRISTOPHER P
Officer
$44,072
@ $220.36 · 2025-01-31
VARKEY JOHNSON
Chief Technology Officer
$123,260
@ $220.11 · 2025-01-31
STITH KIMBERLY G.
Officer
$41,147
@ $220.04 · 2025-01-31
RANKIN DEVINA A
Chief Financial Officer
$152,855
@ $220.57 · 2025-01-31
HEMMER TARA J
Officer
$152,744
@ $220.41 · 2025-01-31
WATSON MICHAEL J.
Officer
$152,630
@ $220.25 · 2025-01-31
SYLVESTER MARYROSE T
Director
$66,796
@ $215.47 · 2024-11-05
WATSON MICHAEL J.
Officer
$330,000
@ $220.00 · 2024-07-16
WATSON MICHAEL J.
Officer
$859,631
@ $204.28 · 2024-06-06
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.
WM
😐Neutral(58/100)
"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)
WM
⚪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 (58)