How much a stock's price changes over time is a significant driver for most investors. Not only can price performance impact your portfolio, but it can help you compare investment results across sectors and industries as well.
FOMO, or the fear of missing out, also plays a role in investing, particularly with tech giants and popular consumer-facing stocks.
What if you'd invested in Morgan Stanley (MS) ten years ago? It may not have been easy to hold on to MS for all that time, but if you did, how much would your investment be worth today?
Morgan Stanley's Business In-Depth
With that in mind, let's take a look at Morgan Stanley's main business drivers.
Founded in 1935 and incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in 1981, Morgan Stanley is the leading financial services holding company headquartered in New York. With 83,922 employees, the company serves a diversified group of clients and customers — including corporations, governments, financial institutions and individuals — through offices across 41 countries.
The company’s business is divided into three segments:
The Institutional Securities ("IS") segment (contributing 46.5% of total net revenues in 2025) includes capital raising; financial advisory services that include advices on mergers and acquisitions (M&As), restructurings, real estate and project finance; corporate lending; sales, trading, financing and market-making activities in equity and fixed income securities and related products, including foreign exchange and commodities; benchmark indices and risk management analytics; and investment activities.
The Wealth Management ("WM") segment (44.4%) provides brokerage and investment advisory services covering various investment alternatives; financial and wealth planning services; annuity and other insurance products; credit and other lending products; cash management services; retirement services; and trust and fiduciary services and engages in fixed income principal trading.
The Investment Management ("IM") segment (9%) provides global asset management products and services in equity, fixed income, alternative investments that include hedge funds and funds of funds, and merchant banking, including real estate, private equity and infrastructure, to institutional and retail clients through proprietary and third-party distribution channels. The segment also engages in investment.
In 2019, Morgan Stanley acquired Canada-based Solium Capital Inc. and renamed it as Shareworks by Morgan Stanley. In 2020, the company acquired E*Trade Financial. In 2021, it acquired Eaton Vance. In January 2026, the company acquired EquityZen, a private shares marketplace.
Bottom Line
Anyone can invest, but building a successful investment portfolio requires research, patience, and a little bit of risk. So, if you had invested in Morgan Stanley, ten years ago, you're likely feeling pretty good about your investment today.
A $1000 investment made in June 2016 would be worth $8,326.55, or a gain of 732.65%, as of June 12, 2026, according to our calculations. This return excludes dividends but includes price appreciation.
In comparison, the S&P 500's gained 252.77% and the price of gold went up 217.33% over the same time frame.
Analysts are anticipating more upside for MS.
Morgan Stanley shares have outperformed the industry in the past year. Its earnings have outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters. Focus on asset and wealth management operations, along with its strategic alliances and buyouts, will support the top line. The EquityZen acquisition broadens private markets capabilities and should deepen client relationships over time. The performance of the investment banking (IB) business will continue to be driven by a strong pipeline, resilient M&A demand, lower rates and the company's global footprint. Its efficient capital distributions reflect a solid balance sheet. Yet, expenses will remain elevated due to expansion and tech investments. While trading revenues are rising, growth in the same might become tough in the future due to the volatile nature of the business.
Over the past four weeks, shares have rallied 9.32%, and there have been 7 higher earnings estimate revisions in the past two months for fiscal 2026 compared to none lower. The consensus estimate has moved up as well.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).