Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) Q1 2026 Earnings Preview: What to Expect

• Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is projected to report strong Q1 2026 earnings and revenue growth, with an estimated $3.08 EPS and $19.9 billion in revenue.
• Growth is anticipated across trading and investment banking divisions, with advisory fees expected to rise over 51% and equity trading revenue by 15%.
• The wealth management segment continues its expansion, with total client assets reaching $9.3 trillion and Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Assets Under Management (AUM) surpassing $1 trillion.

Morgan Stanley is a global financial services company that provides investment banking, securities, and wealth management services. The firm competes with other industry heavyweights like JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM). Morgan Stanley is scheduled to release its quarterly earnings report on April 15, 2026, before the market opens, drawing significant attention from investors.

Wall Street expects a strong performance, with a consensus earnings estimate of $3.08 per share on revenues of nearly $19.9 billion. This represents an 18.5% increase in earnings and a 12.1% rise in revenue compared to the same period last year. However, as highlighted by Zacks, the earnings estimate has been revised downward by 1.4% over the last 30 days.

The positive revenue forecast is supported by expected strength in the company's trading and investment banking divisions. Advisory fees from merger and acquisition deals are projected to increase by over 51% to $883.7 million. Additionally, equity trading revenue is forecasted to rise 15% to $4.74 billion, with fixed-income trading revenue growing 11.2% to $2.9 billion.

In its wealth management business, Morgan Stanley continues to show progress toward its goal of reaching $10 trillion in client assets. The company's total client assets have now reached $9.3 trillion. A significant part of this includes its Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Assets Under Management (AUM), which have surpassed the $1 trillion mark.

Based on recent data, Morgan Stanley has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 16.87. The company's debt-to-equity ratio, which compares its total debt to shareholder equity, is 4.26. Its current ratio of 1.17 suggests it has enough short-term assets to cover its short-term liabilities. The company's enterprise value to operating cash flow ratio is -36.41, reflecting negative cash flow.