AFL vs. MS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AFL and MS, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
MS’s market capitalization of 231.25 billion USD is significantly greater than AFL’s 56.54 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
MS carries a higher beta at 1.29, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AFL (beta: 0.81) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | AFL | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Aflac Incorporated | Morgan Stanley |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Insurance - Life | Financial - Capital Markets |
| CEO | Daniel Paul Amos | Edward N. Pick |
| Price | 104.57 USD | 144.14 USD |
| Market Cap | 56.54 billion USD | 231.25 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.81 | 1.29 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | February 23, 1993 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AFL and MS by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
AFL
13.91%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 23.38%
- Q3
- 14.56%
- Median
- 11.23%
- Q1
- 1.67%
- Min
- -5.23%
AFL’s Return on Equity of 13.91% is on par with the norm for the Insurance - Life industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
MS
14.01%
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 42.02%
- Q3
- 20.69%
- Median
- 13.73%
- Q1
- 3.33%
- Min
- -21.32%
MS’s Return on Equity of 14.01% is on par with the norm for the Financial - Capital Markets industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
AFL
2.99%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 6.30%
- Q3
- 3.33%
- Median
- 2.16%
- Q1
- 0.68%
- Min
- -0.10%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Insurance - Life industry.
MS
2.64%
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 30.24%
- Q3
- 13.34%
- Median
- 6.20%
- Q1
- -1.71%
- Min
- -16.91%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Financial - Capital Markets industry.
Net Profit Margin
AFL
21.03%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 21.20%
- Q3
- 11.59%
- Median
- 7.10%
- Q1
- 3.79%
- Min
- 2.14%
A Net Profit Margin of 21.03% places AFL in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Life industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
MS
13.52%
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 28.67%
- Q3
- 13.52%
- Median
- 10.47%
- Q1
- 0.24%
- Min
- -9.55%
MS’s Net Profit Margin of 13.52% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Financial - Capital Markets industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin
AFL
25.70%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 38.96%
- Q3
- 37.28%
- Median
- 14.06%
- Q1
- 8.95%
- Min
- -1.68%
In the Insurance - Life industry, Operating Profit Margin is often not the primary measure of operational efficiency.
MS
17.73%
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 56.86%
- Q3
- 25.29%
- Median
- 15.90%
- Q1
- 0.51%
- Min
- -19.18%
MS’s Operating Profit Margin of 17.73% is around the midpoint for the Financial - Capital Markets industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 13.91% | 14.01% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 2.99% | 1.18% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 2.99% | 2.64% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 21.03% | 13.52% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 25.70% | 17.73% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 79.82% | 56.30% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AFL
--
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 843.97
- Q3
- 821.68
- Median
- 6.06
- Q1
- 3.15
- Min
- 0.47
Current Ratio data for AFL is currently unavailable.
MS
0.66
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 4.60
- Q3
- 3.24
- Median
- 1.32
- Q1
- 0.96
- Min
- 0.05
For the Financial - Capital Markets industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
AFL
0.29
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 0.86
- Q3
- 0.83
- Median
- 0.55
- Q1
- 0.37
- Min
- 0.27
Falling into the lower quartile for the Insurance - Life industry, AFL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.29 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
MS
3.45
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 3.63
- Q3
- 1.68
- Median
- 0.37
- Q1
- 0.09
- Min
- 0.00
MS’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Financial - Capital Markets industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 3.45. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
Interest Coverage Ratio
AFL
21.96
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 37.82
- Q3
- 19.50
- Median
- 6.25
- Q1
- 2.29
- Min
- -0.76
AFL’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 21.96 is in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Life industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
MS
0.41
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 12.71
- Q3
- 7.94
- Median
- 1.92
- Q1
- 0.24
- Min
- -7.71
The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Financial - Capital Markets industry.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | -- | 0.66 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | -- | 0.66 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.29 | 3.45 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.06 | 0.30 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.57 | 11.97 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 21.95 | 0.41 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AFL and MS. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AFL
2.07%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 10.36%
- Q3
- 4.76%
- Median
- 2.40%
- Q1
- 1.51%
- Min
- 0.00%
AFL’s Dividend Yield of 2.07% is consistent with its peers in the Insurance - Life industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
MS
2.57%
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 5.86%
- Q3
- 1.74%
- Median
- 0.79%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 2.57%, MS offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Financial - Capital Markets industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio
AFL
31.03%
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 203.94%
- Q3
- 64.38%
- Median
- 29.88%
- Q1
- 19.14%
- Min
- 0.00%
AFL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 31.03% is within the typical range for the Insurance - Life industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
MS
42.94%
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 128.06%
- Q3
- 43.11%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MS’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 42.94% is within the typical range for the Financial - Capital Markets industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.07% | 2.57% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 31.03% | 42.94% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AFL
15.85
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 17.82
- Q3
- 16.08
- Median
- 12.43
- Q1
- 7.33
- Min
- 3.69
AFL’s P/E Ratio of 15.85 is within the middle range for the Insurance - Life industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
MS
15.97
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 42.65
- Q3
- 29.09
- Median
- 20.52
- Q1
- 14.58
- Min
- 8.28
MS’s P/E Ratio of 15.97 is within the middle range for the Financial - Capital Markets industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
AFL
2.40
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 3.81
- Q3
- 1.95
- Median
- 0.97
- Q1
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.24
A Forward PEG Ratio of 2.40 places AFL in the upper quartile for the Insurance - Life industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
MS
2.27
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 4.05
- Q3
- 2.46
- Median
- 1.52
- Q1
- 0.78
- Min
- 0.02
MS’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.27 is within the middle range of its peers in the Financial - Capital Markets industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
AFL
3.31
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 3.84
- Q3
- 2.89
- Median
- 1.06
- Q1
- 0.63
- Min
- 0.31
AFL’s P/S Ratio of 3.31 is in the upper echelon for the Insurance - Life industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
MS
2.19
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 14.34
- Q3
- 7.63
- Median
- 2.98
- Q1
- 1.50
- Min
- 0.04
The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Financial - Capital Markets industry.
Price-to-Book Ratio
AFL
2.16
Insurance - Life Industry
- Max
- 3.87
- Q3
- 2.13
- Median
- 1.49
- Q1
- 0.95
- Min
- 0.38
AFL’s P/B Ratio of 2.16 is in the upper tier for the Insurance - Life industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
MS
2.18
Financial - Capital Markets Industry
- Max
- 9.60
- Q3
- 6.00
- Median
- 2.91
- Q1
- 1.84
- Min
- 0.53
MS’s P/B Ratio of 2.18 is within the conventional range for the Financial - Capital Markets industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AFL | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 15.85 | 15.97 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.40 | 2.27 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.31 | 2.19 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 2.16 | 2.18 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 23.10 | -110.12 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 13.45 | 21.68 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.46 | 4.88 |