Compare StocksMS vs WMT

Morgan Stanley (MS) vs Walmart Inc. (WMT)

MS
Morgan Stanley
$158.55
VS
WMT
Walmart Inc.
$121.09

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.
WMT
  • Walmart Inc. has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
  • Walmart Inc. scores 88/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • Each dollar of retained earnings has created $14.77 of market value — management is an exceptional capital allocator.

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.
WMT
  • Gross margin of 24.9% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
  • FCF yield of 1.5% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
  • 19 insider sales totaling $893.3M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.

Key Valuation Metrics

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MS
WMT
Valuation
N/A
Free Cash Flow
$14.92B
N/A
FCF Yield
1.55%
15.53
Trailing P/E
44.52
12.89
Forward P/E
36.87
Quality & Moat
3.43%
ROIC
14.74%
14.42%
ROE
20.62%
87.06%
Gross Margin
24.93%
0.75
PEG Ratio
N/A
Balance Sheet Safety
4.56
Debt / Equity
0.64
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
N/A
Net Debt / EBITDA
1.31
2.52%
Dividend Yield
0.82%
MS: 4Ties: 1WMT: 3
MSWMT

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.

WMT

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
WMT
$14.77
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$36.51B
Δ Market Cap
+$539.31B
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
45.5% Margin of Safety
Price is 45.5% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $158.55
Fair Value: $290.92
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
WMT
71.7% Overvalued
Price is 71.7% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $121.09
Fair Value: $70.54
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.

WMT

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $121?

+19.3%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +24.6%

The market implies +19.3% Owner Earnings growth, below historical trends — potential opportunity.

Standard FCF implies a more demanding +24.6%, reflecting heavy growth investment expected to generate future returns.

Economic Moat Score

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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.
WMT
88/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Revenue Predictability 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

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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.
WMT
-2.55
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 24.0%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.
WMT
Insiders 45.0%Institutions 38.9%Retail & Other 16.1%
No. of Institutional Holders5,261
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
WMT
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
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
WMT
19
Sells (3M)
75
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $4.07B
BARTLETT DANIEL J
Officer
$167,328
@ $126.29 · 2026-03-16
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$344.73M
@ $124.02 · 2026-03-11
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$136.45M
@ $128.14 · 2026-03-04
RAINEY JOHN D
Officer
$2.56M
@ $127.79 · 2026-03-02
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$220.13M
@ $127.74 · 2026-02-27
MCMILLON C DOUGLAS
Director
$2.46M
@ $126.71 · 2026-02-26
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$159.84M
@ $125.93 · 2026-02-25
WATKINS LATRIECE
Officer
$1.21M
@ $121.46 · 2026-02-20
NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER JAMES
Officer
$4.16M
@ $122.00 · 2026-02-20
FURNER JOHN R
Chief Executive Officer
$1.69M
@ $129.10 · 2026-02-19
BARTLETT DANIEL J
Officer
$167,179
@ $133.21 · 2026-02-17
MORRIS DONNA
Officer
$9.43M
@ $123.79 · 2026-02-03
RAINEY JOHN D
Officer
$2.45M
@ $122.27 · 2026-02-02
MCMILLON C DOUGLAS
Chief Executive Officer
$2.31M
@ $119.17 · 2026-01-22
FURNER JOHN R
Officer
$1.57M
@ $119.99 · 2026-01-15
BARTLETT DANIEL J
Officer
$166,560
@ $120.00 · 2026-01-15
DANKER DANIEL
Officer
$524,629
@ $120.19 · 2026-01-14
MORRIS DONNA
Officer
$1.13M
@ $120.19 · 2026-01-14
MCMILLON C DOUGLAS
Chief Executive Officer
$2.17M
@ $111.83 · 2025-12-26
MCLAY KATHRYN J
Officer
$460,840
@ $115.21 · 2025-12-19
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$99.64M
@ $114.26 · 2025-12-19
FURNER JOHN R
Officer
$1.51M
@ $114.91 · 2025-12-18
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$30.10M
@ $115.31 · 2025-12-16
BARTLETT DANIEL J
Officer
$166,725
@ $117.00 · 2025-12-15
RAINEY JOHN D
Officer
$244,706
@ $111.23 · 2025-12-01
MCMILLON C DOUGLAS
Chief Executive Officer
$2.13M
@ $109.57 · 2025-11-28
CHOJNOWSKI DAVID
Officer
$746,550
@ $106.65 · 2025-11-25
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$439.27M
@ $105.96 · 2025-11-21
FURNER JOHN R
Officer
$1.37M
@ $104.75 · 2025-11-20
MCLAY KATHRYN J
Officer
$406,520
@ $101.63 · 2025-11-19
BARTLETT DANIEL J
Officer
$167,205
@ $102.58 · 2025-11-17
RAINEY JOHN D
Officer
$222,602
@ $101.18 · 2025-11-03
MCMILLON C DOUGLAS
Chief Executive Officer
$2.08M
@ $107.18 · 2025-10-23
MCLAY KATHRYN J
Officer
$431,000
@ $107.75 · 2025-10-20
FURNER JOHN R
Officer
$1.41M
@ $107.78 · 2025-10-16
BARTLETT DANIEL J
Officer
$166,563
@ $107.46 · 2025-10-15
RAINEY JOHN D
Officer
$222,933
@ $101.33 · 2025-10-01
MCMILLON C DOUGLAS
Chief Executive Officer
$2.00M
@ $103.21 · 2025-09-25
MCLAY KATHRYN J
Officer
$415,320
@ $103.83 · 2025-09-19
FURNER JOHN R
Officer
$1.36M
@ $103.74 · 2025-09-18
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$247.15M
@ $103.45 · 2025-09-16
BARTLETT DANIEL J
Officer
$166,973
@ $103.71 · 2025-09-15
KUMAR SURESH
Chief Technology Officer
$3.10M
@ $103.47 · 2025-09-12
RAINEY JOHN D
Officer
$214,221
@ $97.37 · 2025-09-02
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$244.67M
@ $96.42 · 2025-08-29
MCMILLON C DOUGLAS
Chief Executive Officer
$1.86M
@ $95.97 · 2025-08-28
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$151.91M
@ $96.67 · 2025-08-26
FURNER JOHN R
Officer
$1.29M
@ $98.55 · 2025-08-21
MCLAY KATHRYN J
Officer
$403,840
@ $100.96 · 2025-08-19
BARTLETT DANIEL J
Officer
$166,124
@ $100.38 · 2025-08-15
RAINEY JOHN D
Officer
$216,258
@ $98.30 · 2025-08-01
MCMILLON C DOUGLAS
Chief Executive Officer
$1.86M
@ $95.58 · 2025-07-24
MCLAY KATHRYN J
Officer
$380,560
@ $95.14 · 2025-07-21
FURNER JOHN R
Officer
$1.25M
@ $95.14 · 2025-07-17
BARTLETT DANIEL J
Officer
$166,726
@ $95.60 · 2025-07-15
RAINEY JOHN D
Officer
$216,565
@ $98.44 · 2025-07-01
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$36.92M
@ $97.52 · 2025-06-27
MCMILLON C DOUGLAS
Chief Executive Officer
$1.89M
@ $97.19 · 2025-06-26
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$329.64M
@ $98.21 · 2025-06-25
MCLAY KATHRYN J
Officer
$380,960
@ $95.24 · 2025-06-20
FURNER JOHN R
Officer
$1.26M
@ $95.85 · 2025-06-20
BARTLETT DANIEL J
Officer
$166,795
@ $94.77 · 2025-06-16
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$100.43M
@ $98.85 · 2025-06-02
RAINEY JOHN D
Officer
$217,800
@ $99.00 · 2025-06-02
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$467.81M
@ $97.30 · 2025-05-29
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$248.94M
@ $96.41 · 2025-05-23
MCMILLON C DOUGLAS
Chief Executive Officer
$2.82M
@ $96.58 · 2025-05-22
MCLAY KATHRYN J
Officer
$3.10M
@ $96.97 · 2025-05-21
WALTON FAMILY HOLDINGS TRUST
Trustee
$740.91M
@ $97.95 · 2025-05-20
BARTLETT DANIEL J
Officer
$166,721
@ $93.77 · 2025-05-15
RAINEY JOHN D
Officer
$214,223
@ $97.37 · 2025-05-01
MCMILLON C DOUGLAS
Chief Executive Officer
$2.74M
@ $94.19 · 2025-04-24
MCLAY KATHRYN J
Officer
$374,000
@ $93.50 · 2025-04-21
BARTLETT DANIEL J
Officer
$166,883
@ $94.82 · 2025-04-15
RAINEY JOHN D
Officer
$195,043
@ $88.66 · 2025-04-01
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
😐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.
WMT
FearGreed
😐Neutral(56/100)

"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: Neutral (48)
WMT
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 (56)
View MS Full AnalysisView WMT Full Analysis
Morgan Stanley (MS) vs Walmart Inc. (WMT) Stock Comparison | SafetyMargin.io