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

Updated on October 4, 2025

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

Company Profile

Symbol	JNJ	MS
Company Name	Johnson & Johnson	Morgan Stanley
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Health Care	Financials
GICS Industry	Pharmaceuticals	Capital Markets
Market Capitalization	448.07 billion USD	255.59 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 2, 1962	February 23, 1993
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of JNJ 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.

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

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	JNJ	MS
5-Day Price Return	4.94%	-1.30%
13-Week Price Return	21.39%	11.21%
26-Week Price Return	14.65%	31.84%
52-Week Price Return	14.88%	50.51%
Month-to-Date Return	4.66%	-1.30%
Year-to-Date Return	28.21%	24.79%
10-Day Avg. Volume	10.00M	6.01M
3-Month Avg. Volume	8.38M	5.26M
3-Month Volatility	18.45%	17.67%
Beta	0.37	1.24

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

JNJ

30.39%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 38.59%
Q3: 19.84%
Median: 11.85%
Q1: 5.40%
Min: -10.91%

In the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry, JNJ’s Return on Equity of 30.39% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

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.

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

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

JNJ

25.00%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 40.67%
Q3: 19.07%
Median: 12.31%
Q1: 4.50%
Min: -9.91%

A Net Profit Margin of 25.00% places JNJ in the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals 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.

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

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

JNJ

30.18%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 45.78%
Q3: 23.14%
Median: 16.68%
Q1: 7.98%
Min: -7.13%

An Operating Profit Margin of 30.18% places JNJ in the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

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.

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

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	JNJ	MS
Return on Equity (TTM)	30.39%	13.95%
Return on Assets (TTM)	12.16%	1.15%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	25.00%	13.06%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	30.18%	17.07%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	67.98%	54.42%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

JNJ

1.01

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 4.65
Q3: 2.64
Median: 1.85
Q1: 1.26
Min: 0.78

JNJ’s Current Ratio of 1.01 falls into the lower quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

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.

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

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

JNJ

0.65

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 1.75
Q3: 0.82
Median: 0.35
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

JNJ’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.65 is typical for the Pharmaceuticals industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

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.

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

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

JNJ

34.01

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 103.95
Q3: 43.60
Median: 9.83
Q1: 2.37
Min: -42.71

JNJ’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 34.01 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Pharmaceuticals 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.

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

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	JNJ	MS
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.01	0.29
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.68	0.29
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.65	7.68
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	34.01	1.25

Growth

Revenue Growth

JNJ 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

JNJ 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)

JNJ

2.72%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 7.14%
Q3: 3.45%
Median: 2.17%
Q1: 0.33%
Min: 0.00%

JNJ’s Dividend Yield of 2.72% is consistent with its peers in the Pharmaceuticals 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.

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

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

JNJ

53.34%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 199.58%
Q3: 97.17%
Median: 53.47%
Q1: 22.97%
Min: 0.00%

JNJ’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 53.34% is within the typical range for the Pharmaceuticals industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

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.

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

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	JNJ	MS
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.72%	2.53%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	53.34%	43.20%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

JNJ

19.60

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 45.19
Q3: 27.91
Median: 20.59
Q1: 15.08
Min: 3.79

JNJ’s P/E Ratio of 19.60 is within the middle range for the Pharmaceuticals 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.

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

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

JNJ

4.90

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 8.87
Q3: 4.56
Median: 2.14
Q1: 1.58
Min: 0.11

JNJ’s P/S Ratio of 4.90 is in the upper echelon for the Pharmaceuticals 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

2.23

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.

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

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

JNJ

4.68

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 9.78
Q3: 4.99
Median: 2.48
Q1: 1.53
Min: 0.59

JNJ’s P/B Ratio of 4.68 is within the conventional range for the Pharmaceuticals 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.

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

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	JNJ	MS
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	19.60	17.10
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	4.90	2.23
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	4.68	2.08
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	23.95	11.47