AZN vs. MS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AZN and MS, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AZN’s market capitalization of 430.65 billion USD is substantially larger than MS’s 231.25 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
MS carries a higher beta at 1.29, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AZN (beta: 0.17) exhibits greater stability.
AZN trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, MS is a standard domestic listing.
| Symbol | AZN | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AstraZeneca PLC | Morgan Stanley |
| Country | GB | US |
| Sector | Healthcare | Financial Services |
| Industry | Drug Manufacturers - General | Financial - Capital Markets |
| CEO | Pascal Claude Roland Soriot | Edward N. Pick |
| Price | 69.45 USD | 144.14 USD |
| Market Cap | 430.65 billion USD | 231.25 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.17 | 1.29 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | May 12, 1993 | February 23, 1993 |
| ADR | Yes | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AZN 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
AZN
19.18%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 95.59%
- Q3
- 76.92%
- Median
- 30.71%
- Q1
- 8.97%
- Min
- -14.85%
AZN’s Return on Equity of 19.18% is on par with the norm for the Drug Manufacturers - General 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
AZN
10.93%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 25.72%
- Q3
- 17.89%
- Median
- 11.47%
- Q1
- 9.39%
- Min
- 2.87%
AZN’s Return on Invested Capital of 10.93% is in line with the norm for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
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
AZN
14.14%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 34.51%
- Q3
- 23.04%
- Median
- 14.73%
- Q1
- 11.78%
- Min
- 2.18%
AZN’s Net Profit Margin of 14.14% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
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
AZN
19.21%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 40.70%
- Q3
- 28.90%
- Median
- 23.41%
- Q1
- 19.05%
- Min
- 16.13%
AZN’s Operating Profit Margin of 19.21% is around the midpoint for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
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 | AZN | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 19.18% | 14.01% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 7.31% | 1.18% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 10.93% | 2.64% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.14% | 13.52% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.21% | 17.73% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 81.41% | 56.30% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AZN
0.90
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 1.67
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 1.26
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.39
AZN’s Current Ratio of 0.90 aligns with the median group of the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
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
AZN
0.77
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 2.95
- Q3
- 2.44
- Median
- 0.86
- Q1
- 0.68
- Min
- 0.09
AZN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.77 is typical for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
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
AZN
7.95
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 27.46
- Q3
- 14.40
- Median
- 7.80
- Q1
- 4.07
- Min
- 1.67
AZN’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.95 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
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 | AZN | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.90 | 0.66 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.70 | 0.66 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.77 | 3.45 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.30 | 0.30 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.49 | 11.97 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.95 | 0.41 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AZN 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
AZN
1.87%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 8.72%
- Q3
- 4.10%
- Median
- 3.34%
- Q1
- 1.89%
- Min
- 0.00%
AZN’s Dividend Yield of 1.87% is in the lower quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
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
AZN
63.60%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 266.46%
- Q3
- 78.91%
- Median
- 60.27%
- Q1
- 43.74%
- Min
- 0.00%
AZN’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 63.60% is within the typical range for the Drug Manufacturers - General 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 | AZN | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.87% | 2.57% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 63.60% | 42.94% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AZN
28.12
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 27.96
- Q3
- 25.84
- Median
- 18.32
- Q1
- 16.65
- Min
- 3.39
At 28.12, AZN’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
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
AZN
2.56
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 3.10
- Q3
- 3.09
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 2.18
- Min
- 1.02
AZN’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.56 is within the middle range of its peers in the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
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
AZN
3.98
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 6.47
- Q3
- 4.47
- Median
- 3.53
- Q1
- 1.96
- Min
- 0.41
AZN’s P/S Ratio of 3.98 aligns with the market consensus for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
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
AZN
5.33
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 7.80
- Q3
- 7.80
- Median
- 5.30
- Q1
- 4.06
- Min
- 1.08
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry.
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 | AZN | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 28.12 | 15.97 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.56 | 2.27 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.98 | 2.19 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 5.33 | 2.18 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 22.59 | -110.12 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 13.82 | 21.68 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 4.46 | 4.88 |