HSBC Holdings plc vs Morgan Stanley — how do they compare? HSBC Holdings plc trades at $103.83 (market cap $353.82B), while Morgan Stanley trades at $219.38 (market cap $338.09B). The key difference: HSBC Holdings plc and Morgan Stanley are close in size by market cap, and HSBC Holdings plc pays the higher dividend (3.63%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| HSBC | MS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $353.82B | $338.09B |
Sector | Technology | Financials |
52-Week High | $107.86 | $228.42 |
52-Week Low | $63.84 | $144.04 |
Dividend Yield | 3.63% | 2.14% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
HSBC's stock trades at $103.88, up 0.54% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and support near $103. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations with a 7% revenue rise to $19 billion (Defense World, 2026-08-06), and the company announced a $1 billion buyback (WSJ, 2026-08-04). Valuation metrics include a P/E of 14.74 and ROE of 12.44%, reflecting solid profitability.
The outlook is positive due to strong earnings momentum and shareholder returns, but risks include a recent analyst downgrade (Citi to 'neutral' on August 5, 2026) and exposure to Asian market volatility. With 38.1% of analysts rating it a buy, the stock offers growth potential tempered by competitive and regulatory headwinds.
Morgan Stanley (MS) trades at $215.27, down 0.46% on the day, with a neutral technical signal. The stock shows strong fundamentals, with revenue growing from $50.2B in 2022 to $66.0B in 2025 and net income margin expanding to 27.59%. Recent earnings beats and the selection to lead the Anthropic IPO highlight operational strength. The consensus analyst price target is $239.58, implying potential upside.
The outlook is positive, supported by earnings momentum and strategic initiatives like AI integration in wealth management. Key risks include volatile cash flows from operations and high leverage, with debt-to-asset ratio rising to 26.1 in 2025. Analyst sentiment is bullish, with 55.77% recommending Buy.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
HSBC is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organizations. It serves customers worldwide through four global businesses: Retail, Commercial, Global Banking, and Private Banking.
Read more on HSBC →Morgan Stanley is a global investment bank whose history, through its legacy firms, can be traced back to 1924. The company has institutional securities, wealth management, and investment management segments. The company had about $5 trillion of client assets as well as over 70,000 employees at the end of 2021. Approximately 50% of the company's net revenue is from its institutional securities business, with the remainder coming from wealth and investment management. The company derives about 30% of its total revenue outside the Americas.
Read more on MS →