AXP vs. MSCI: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AXP and MSCI, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AXP’s market capitalization of 229.88 billion USD is substantially larger than MSCI’s 45.47 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
With betas of 1.25 for AXP and 1.33 for MSCI, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | AXP | MSCI |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | American Express Company | MSCI Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Financial - Credit Services | Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges |
| CEO | Stephen Joseph Squeri | Henry A. Fernandez |
| Price | 328.13 USD | 587.74 USD |
| Market Cap | 229.88 billion USD | 45.47 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.25 | 1.33 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | June 1, 1972 | November 15, 2007 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AXP and MSCI 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
AXP
34.05%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 34.05%
- Q3
- 18.70%
- Median
- 10.57%
- Q1
- 3.55%
- Min
- -12.12%
In the upper quartile for the Financial - Credit Services industry, AXP’s Return on Equity of 34.05% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
MSCI
-134.96%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 26.26%
- Q3
- 23.14%
- Median
- 14.33%
- Q1
- 11.12%
- Min
- -0.64%
MSCI has a negative Return on Equity of -134.96%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.
Return on Invested Capital
AXP
8.40%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 68.11%
- Q3
- 32.26%
- Median
- 9.52%
- Q1
- 3.37%
- Min
- -7.03%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Financial - Credit Services industry.
MSCI
33.19%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 18.31%
- Q3
- 14.86%
- Median
- 11.07%
- Q1
- 6.75%
- Min
- 4.04%
MSCI’s Return on Invested Capital of 33.19% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This demonstrates an outstanding ability to deploy capital efficiently and create significant value.
Net Profit Margin
AXP
13.64%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 39.42%
- Q3
- 20.10%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 5.82%
- Min
- -14.80%
AXP’s Net Profit Margin of 13.64% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Financial - Credit Services industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
MSCI
39.08%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 39.08%
- Q3
- 31.63%
- Median
- 23.20%
- Q1
- 18.09%
- Min
- -0.88%
A Net Profit Margin of 39.08% places MSCI in the upper quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
AXP
17.36%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 77.26%
- Q3
- 42.86%
- Median
- 17.99%
- Q1
- 10.82%
- Min
- -14.94%
AXP’s Operating Profit Margin of 17.36% is around the midpoint for the Financial - Credit Services industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
MSCI
53.68%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 53.68%
- Q3
- 40.45%
- Median
- 31.81%
- Q1
- 24.66%
- Min
- 9.71%
An Operating Profit Margin of 53.68% places MSCI in the upper quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | MSCI |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 34.05% | -134.96% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 3.64% | 21.36% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 8.40% | 33.19% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 13.64% | 39.08% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.36% | 53.68% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 82.37% | 80.57% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AXP
0.32
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 8.15
- Q3
- 4.39
- Median
- 2.62
- Q1
- 1.06
- Min
- 0.15
For the Financial - Credit Services industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.
MSCI
0.84
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 1.60
- Q3
- 1.57
- Median
- 1.06
- Q1
- 0.96
- Min
- 0.62
MSCI’s Current Ratio of 0.84 falls into the lower quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
AXP
1.69
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 4.69
- Q3
- 2.55
- Median
- 1.20
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.00
AXP’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.69 is typical for the Financial - Credit Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
MSCI
-4.87
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 1.09
- Q3
- 0.80
- Median
- 0.62
- Q1
- 0.36
- Min
- 0.04
MSCI has a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of -4.87, which indicates negative shareholder equity where liabilities exceed assets. This is a critical sign of financial distress.
Interest Coverage Ratio
AXP
1.59
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 17.48
- Q3
- 7.42
- Median
- 1.59
- Q1
- 0.38
- Min
- -7.77
The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Financial - Credit Services industry.
MSCI
8.46
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 27.44
- Q3
- 22.05
- Median
- 10.08
- Q1
- 6.79
- Min
- 1.01
MSCI’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 8.46 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | MSCI |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.32 | 0.84 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.32 | 0.84 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.69 | -4.87 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.19 | 0.87 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.03 | 2.41 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 1.59 | 8.46 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AXP and MSCI. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AXP
0.93%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 14.68%
- Q3
- 2.97%
- Median
- 1.03%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AXP’s Dividend Yield of 0.93% is consistent with its peers in the Financial - Credit Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
MSCI
1.16%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 3.86%
- Q3
- 1.44%
- Median
- 1.06%
- Q1
- 0.73%
- Min
- 0.00%
MSCI’s Dividend Yield of 1.16% is consistent with its peers in the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio
AXP
20.01%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 169.58%
- Q3
- 38.15%
- Median
- 18.30%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AXP’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 20.01% is within the typical range for the Financial - Credit Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
MSCI
45.68%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 106.40%
- Q3
- 44.44%
- Median
- 31.97%
- Q1
- 29.26%
- Min
- 0.00%
MSCI’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 45.68% is in the upper quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | MSCI |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.93% | 1.16% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 20.01% | 45.68% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AXP
22.38
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 42.04
- Q3
- 25.88
- Median
- 12.28
- Q1
- 9.55
- Min
- 3.09
AXP’s P/E Ratio of 22.38 is within the middle range for the Financial - Credit Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
MSCI
39.96
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 41.71
- Q3
- 40.17
- Median
- 37.47
- Q1
- 30.61
- Min
- 16.74
MSCI’s P/E Ratio of 39.96 is within the middle range for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges 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
AXP
2.10
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 2.76
- Q3
- 1.57
- Median
- 0.82
- Q1
- 0.51
- Min
- 0.06
A Forward PEG Ratio of 2.10 places AXP in the upper quartile for the Financial - Credit Services industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
MSCI
3.40
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 4.54
- Q3
- 4.09
- Median
- 4.06
- Q1
- 3.33
- Min
- 2.36
MSCI’s Forward PEG Ratio of 3.40 is within the middle range of its peers in the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
AXP
3.05
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 6.24
- Q3
- 3.02
- Median
- 1.54
- Q1
- 0.75
- Min
- 0.32
The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Financial - Credit Services industry.
MSCI
15.56
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 15.75
- Q3
- 12.42
- Median
- 9.37
- Q1
- 6.34
- Min
- 1.69
MSCI’s P/S Ratio of 15.56 is in the upper echelon for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges 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.
Price-to-Book Ratio
AXP
7.37
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 3.58
- Q3
- 2.84
- Median
- 1.28
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.07
At 7.37, AXP’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Financial - Credit Services industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
MSCI
-47.60
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 8.57
- Q3
- 8.05
- Median
- 4.77
- Q1
- 3.69
- Min
- 1.19
MSCI has a negative P/B Ratio of -47.60, indicating its liabilities exceed its assets and result in negative shareholder equity. This is a critical warning sign of financial distress.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | MSCI |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 22.38 | 39.96 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.10 | 3.40 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.05 | 15.56 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 7.37 | -47.60 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 20.31 | 31.50 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 15.56 | 27.83 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.06 | 17.04 |