McDonald's Corp vs Morgan Stanley — how do they compare? McDonald's Corp trades at $267.38 (market cap $190.16B), while Morgan Stanley trades at $213.03 (market cap $331.60B). The key difference: Morgan Stanley is the larger of the two by market cap, and McDonald's Corp pays the higher dividend (2.78%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MCD | MS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $190.16B | $331.60B |
Volume | 2,230,036 | — |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Financials |
52-Week High | $341.06 | $228.42 |
52-Week Low | $264.54 | $139.09 |
Enterprise Value | $243.87B | — |
Dividend Yield | 2.78% | 2.18% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
McDonald's stock trades at $267.64, down slightly by 0.03% on the day, and is currently in a bearish technical trend according to moving averages. The company reported Q1 2026 earnings that beat expectations with EPS of $2.83 versus $2.74 expected, and revenue growth remains steady, reaching $26.89 billion in 2025. Recent news highlights the launch of the 'McDonald's NEXT' growth strategy focusing on automation and improved customer experience to counter competitive pressures.
The outlook for McDonald's is supported by strong fundamentals including a high net income margin of 31.62% and a consensus analyst price target of $329, implying significant upside. However, risks include inflationary pressures on franchisee margins and high long-term debt of $38.42 billion. Investor sentiment is mixed with a bearish technical signal but optimistic analyst ratings, with 58% recommending buy.
Morgan Stanley (MS) trades at $210.97, down 2.09% over the past day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $241.36. The company has consistently beaten earnings expectations in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS of $3.46 surpassing estimates of $2.89. Revenue growth accelerated to $66.0 billion in 2025, up from $57.6 billion in 2024, while net income margin improved to 25.56%. Recent developments include leading Anthropic's upcoming IPO and expanding AI integration in wealth management services.
The outlook remains positive given strong earnings momentum, analyst bullishness, and strategic initiatives in high-growth areas like AI and IPO advisory. Key risks include volatile cash flows from operations, rising debt levels, and sensitivity to financial market conditions. The stock offers potential upside to analyst targets but requires monitoring of operational cash generation and macroeconomic headwinds affecting the financial sector.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
McDonald's Corporation franchises and operates fast-food restaurants in the global restaurant industry. The Company's restaurants serves a variety of value-priced menu products in countries around the world.
Read more on MCD →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 →