BAC vs MS Stock Comparison
MS currently leads BAC in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 57 vs 46. The clearest difference is quality, while BAC has the stronger value profile.
What is the main difference between BAC and MS?
MS leads the current stock comparison as Morgan Stanley, with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Bank of America Corporation vs Morgan Stanley
MS leads
MS leads by 11 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Risk Resilience, and the lead has widened from 1 points over 30 sessions. Wall Street currently favors BAC on target upside.
Competitive: 4 of 6 evidence groups support MS, its lead is widening, and its current signal state is conflicted.
Bank of America Corporation
Morgan Stanley
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors MS over BAC, 57 versus 46 as of Oct 21, 2026. MS's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and risk resilience, while BAC holds the stronger value profile. MS also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors BAC. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor MS today, and the comparison is rated Competitive on stability: the leader is throwing conflicting signals. MS lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 1 to 11 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Bank of America Corporation and Morgan Stanley across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare BAC and MS against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Quality49 vs 82MS +33
- Risk Resilience58 vs 72MS +14
- Value57 vs 49BAC +8
- Momentum24 vs 27Even
4 of 6 evidence groups favor MS. MS’s edge is concentrated in quality and risk resilience; BAC keeps a meaningful value edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Risk Resilience +1, not enough on its own to move the overall score.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 5 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum +4
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 2 active signals are unchanged.
MS's lead widened by 1 AIQ point in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — BAC and MS both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
MS (Morgan Stanley): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and risk resilience.
BAC (Bank of America Corporation): the counter-case, on value, valuation, analyst expectations.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
MSMS on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
MSMS on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
BACBAC on the peer-relative Value factor, by 8 points.
Momentum
EvenThe two are level on Momentum.
Lower downside
MSMS on Risk Resilience, by 14 points.
Analyst upside
BACBAC on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors MS, analyst targets favor BAC. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | BAC | MS | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +30.5% | +21.2% | BAC has more room |
| Target dispersion | +22.6% | +33.1% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 11 | 4 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Dividend growth
| Dividend metric | BAC | MS |
|---|---|---|
| 5Y dividend CAGR | 8.45% | 22.42% |
| 2020 regular DPS | $0.720 | $1.400 |
| 2025 regular DPS | $1.080 | $3.850 |
| Years increased | 5 | 5 |
| No cut in window | Yes | Yes |
| Cohort rank | #133 | not ranked |
MS grew its split-adjusted regular dividend faster over 2020–2025 — 22.42% a year against BAC's 8.45%. Neither company reduced its regular dividend in any year of the window. They are ranked in different cohorts — US dividend-paying corporations and variable-dividend payers — so their ranks are not comparable with each other.
Yield and payout ratio shown elsewhere on this page are current values, not part of the study window.
Split-adjusted regular dividends per share, 2020–2025, excluding special dividends. Research as of Sep 19, 2026.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor MS. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | MS | 46 vs 57 |
| Fundamentals | MSon balance | revenue growth -3.3% vs -3.5%; EPS growth -23.8% vs -11.3%; TTM ROE 10.7% vs 24.4%; gross margin 60.4% vs 60.6%; operating margin 22.4% vs 20.5% — MS takes 2 of 3 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | BAC | Value 57 vs 49 |
| Technicals | MS | Price vs 50-day -13.2% vs -7.8%; vs 200-day -8.1% vs -7.1% |
| Risk Resilience | MS | Risk Resilience 58 vs 72 |
| Analyst expectations | BAC | Target upside 30.5% vs 21.2% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of BAC and MS and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 11 points.
- The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on MS.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20MS lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 1 to 11 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- MS +11
- 46 vs 57
- 7 sessions ago
- Level
- 41 vs 41
- 30 sessions ago
- MS +1
- 40 vs 41
- 90 sessions ago
- BAC +1
- 54 vs 53
The lead changed hands 4 times in this window, most recently on Sep 29 when MS moved ahead of BAC.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only BAC
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
1 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted
No signal that the other name lacks.
Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Golden Cross Active, MACD Bearish Crossover.
MS leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.28%, AIQ 0 points).
Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +3.66%, AIQ +1 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1BAC closes the Quality gap — currently 33 points behind, the largest single contributor to MS's edge.
- 2BAC's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it.
- 3MS's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
MS leads on balance| Metric | BAC | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -3.3% | -3.5% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | -23.8% | -11.3% |
| Gross margin | 60.4% | 60.6% |
| Operating margin | 22.4% | 20.5% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 10.7% | 24.4% |
| Debt to equity | 1.28 | 0 |
Performance
MS leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | BAC | MS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -6.2% | -3.3% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -9.9% | -9.9% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -16.5% | -17.2% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -5.3% | -4.7% |
| Year to date | -7.9% | 1.6% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 0.4% | 12.7% |
Technicals
MS has the stronger structure| Metric | BAC | MS |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 25.5 | 34.1 |
| ADX (14) | 48.6 | 41.5 |
| Price vs 50-day | -13.2% | -7.8% |
| Price vs 200-day | -8.1% | -7.1% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 21.8% | 17.9% |
Risk
MS is the more resilient| Metric | BAC | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.75 | 1.41 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.13 | 0.46 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.16 | 0.67 |
| Max drawdown | -22.3% | -21.9% |
| Current drawdown | -21.9% | -21.1% |
| Annualized volatility | 21.9% | 28.1% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -2.5% | -2.9% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, BAC or MS?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, MS is the stronger of the two as of Oct 21, 2026, scoring 57 against BAC's 46. The edge comes from quality and risk resilience. BAC is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is BAC or MS the better buy right now?
MS carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 21, 2026, and the comparison is rated Competitive — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Competitive rating means the two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
Why does the AIQ Score favor MS over BAC?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. MS leads Quality by 33 points; MS leads Risk Resilience by 14 points; BAC leads Value by 8 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, BAC or MS?
Analyst price targets imply +30.5% upside for BAC and +21.2% for MS, so the Street currently favors BAC. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors MS. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, BAC or MS?
BAC is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. BAC on the peer-relative Value factor, by 8 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, BAC or MS?
MS on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, BAC or MS?
The two are level on Momentum. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, BAC or MS?
MS is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. MS on Risk Resilience, by 14 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is BAC more profitable than MS?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 60.4% vs 60.6%; operating margin 22.4% vs 20.5%; ttm roe 10.7% vs 24.4%. Each name leads on one measure, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
Is MS's lead over BAC getting stronger or weaker?
MS lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 1 to 11 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has changed hands 4 times in that window, most recently on 2026-09-29, when MS moved ahead of BAC.
What would change the BAC vs MS verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: BAC closes the Quality gap — currently 33 points behind, the largest single contributor to MS's edge; BAC's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it; MS's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about BAC and MS?
BAC: 2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. MS: 1 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on BAC is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On MS it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare BAC and MS with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.