MS 10-K Analysis: The $139B Sweep Deposit Paradox Behind Record Earnings
Morgan Stanley posted record FY 2025 results: $70.6B revenue, $10.21 EPS, and 21.6% ROTCE — the highest return among large bank peers. But the 10-K reveals a paradox at the core of those results. The $139 billion sweep deposit base driving record net interest income growth is the same asset class-action plaintiffs allege was unfairly compensated. Meanwhile, the 300bp efficiency improvement blends a durable WM non-comp leverage engine with a cyclical IS comp ratio tailwind. At 17.4x earnings — the richest multiple in the large bank peer group — investors are paying for a stability narrative that the filing's own numbers complicate.