BABA vs. MS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on October 3, 2025

Here’s a clear look at BABA and MS, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

BABA 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	BABA	MS
Company Name	Alibaba Group Holding Limited	Morgan Stanley
Country	Hong Kong	United States
GICS Sector	Consumer Discretionary	Financials
GICS Industry	Broadline Retail	Capital Markets
Market Capitalization	435.84 billion USD	255.59 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	September 19, 2014	February 23, 1993
Security Type	ADR	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of BABA 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.

BABA vs. MS: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	BABA	MS
5-Day Price Return	4.17%	-1.30%
13-Week Price Return	60.38%	11.21%
26-Week Price Return	34.76%	31.84%
52-Week Price Return	72.24%	50.51%
Month-to-Date Return	2.27%	-1.30%
Year-to-Date Return	115.57%	24.79%
10-Day Avg. Volume	21.92M	6.01M
3-Month Avg. Volume	16.44M	5.26M
3-Month Volatility	49.36%	17.67%
Beta	0.31	1.24

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

BABA

14.91%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 47.53%
Q3: 31.20%
Median: 16.63%
Q1: 10.81%
Min: -7.57%

BABA’s Return on Equity of 14.91% is on par with the norm for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

MS

13.95%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 38.97%
Q3: 22.24%
Median: 13.52%
Q1: 8.61%
Min: -4.25%

MS’s Return on Equity of 13.95% is on par with the norm for the Capital Markets industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

BABA vs. MS: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

BABA

14.82%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 24.63%
Q3: 12.77%
Median: 8.63%
Q1: 4.50%
Min: -1.62%

A Net Profit Margin of 14.82% places BABA in the upper quartile for the Broadline Retail industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

MS

13.06%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 69.91%
Q3: 37.24%
Median: 24.30%
Q1: 13.06%
Min: -15.18%

MS’s Net Profit Margin of 13.06% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Capital Markets industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

BABA vs. MS: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

BABA

13.98%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 27.48%
Q3: 17.60%
Median: 10.82%
Q1: 7.76%
Min: -6.73%

BABA’s Operating Profit Margin of 13.98% is around the midpoint for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

MS

17.07%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 84.86%
Q3: 47.16%
Median: 32.23%
Q1: 18.65%
Min: -21.87%

MS’s Operating Profit Margin of 17.07% is in the lower quartile for the Capital Markets industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

BABA vs. MS: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	BABA	MS
Return on Equity (TTM)	14.91%	13.95%
Return on Assets (TTM)	8.16%	1.15%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	14.82%	13.06%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	13.98%	17.07%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	41.18%	54.42%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

BABA

1.45

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 3.54
Q3: 2.42
Median: 1.38
Q1: 1.20
Min: 0.69

BABA’s Current Ratio of 1.45 aligns with the median group of the Broadline Retail industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

MS

0.29

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 3.37
Q3: 1.81
Median: 1.01
Q1: 0.56
Min: 0.04

For the Capital Markets industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

BABA vs. MS: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Broadline Retail and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

BABA

0.23

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 2.01
Q3: 1.31
Median: 0.72
Q1: 0.32
Min: 0.00

Falling into the lower quartile for the Broadline Retail industry, BABA’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.23 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

MS

7.68

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 6.52
Q3: 2.79
Median: 0.96
Q1: 0.28
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Capital Markets industry.

BABA vs. MS: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Broadline Retail and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

BABA

9.56

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 37.34
Q3: 21.16
Median: 8.60
Q1: 3.22
Min: -19.29

BABA’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 9.56 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

MS

1.25

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 107.59
Q3: 48.41
Median: 10.85
Q1: 4.56
Min: -36.26

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Capital Markets industry.

BABA vs. MS: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	BABA	MS
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.45	0.29
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.97	0.29
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.23	7.68
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	9.56	1.25

Growth

Revenue Growth

BABA vs. MS: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

BABA vs. MS: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

BABA

1.88%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 4.06%
Q3: 2.07%
Median: 0.37%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BABA’s Dividend Yield of 1.88% is consistent with its peers in the Broadline Retail industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

MS

2.53%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 9.02%
Q3: 4.54%
Median: 2.55%
Q1: 1.27%
Min: 0.00%

MS’s Dividend Yield of 2.53% is consistent with its peers in the Capital Markets industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

BABA vs. MS: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

BABA

103.01%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 114.82%
Q3: 62.39%
Median: 28.55%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BABA’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 103.01% is in the upper quartile for the Broadline Retail 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.

MS

43.20%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 199.38%
Q3: 99.28%
Median: 60.67%
Q1: 32.00%
Min: 0.00%

MS’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 43.20% is within the typical range for the Capital Markets industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

BABA vs. MS: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	BABA	MS
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.88%	2.53%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	103.01%	43.20%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

BABA

20.82

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 62.76
Q3: 32.50
Median: 17.65
Q1: 12.08
Min: 6.87

BABA’s P/E Ratio of 20.82 is within the middle range for the Broadline Retail 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

17.10

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 51.69
Q3: 29.42
Median: 17.58
Q1: 12.55
Min: 5.59

MS’s P/E Ratio of 17.10 is within the middle range for the 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.

BABA vs. MS: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

BABA

3.08

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 5.19
Q3: 3.25
Median: 2.13
Q1: 1.01
Min: 0.21

BABA’s P/S Ratio of 3.08 aligns with the market consensus for the Broadline Retail industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

MS

2.23

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 14.65
Q3: 7.29
Median: 4.53
Q1: 2.26
Min: 0.04

In the lower quartile for the Capital Markets industry, MS’s P/S Ratio of 2.23 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.

BABA vs. MS: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

BABA

1.90

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 8.81
Q3: 5.19
Median: 3.42
Q1: 1.75
Min: 0.73

BABA’s P/B Ratio of 1.90 is within the conventional range for the Broadline Retail 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.

MS

2.08

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 10.83
Q3: 5.12
Median: 2.66
Q1: 1.19
Min: 0.37

MS’s P/B Ratio of 2.08 is within the conventional range for the 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.

BABA vs. MS: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Broadline Retail and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	BABA	MS
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	20.82	17.10
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	3.08	2.23
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	1.90	2.08
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	39.82	11.47