Morgan Stanley Earnings Report: What to Anticipate

• Analysts surveyed by LSEG expect revenue of $17.77 billion for the fourth quarter
• Trading desks have been busy over the past year while investment banking showed renewed momentum with a pickup in mergers and IPOs
• Record-high stock markets could provide a significant boost to Morgan Stanley's massive wealth management business

Morgan Stanley Q4 Earnings Preview

Morgan Stanley (MS) is scheduled to release its fourth-quarter earnings before the market opens on Thursday. Wall Street analysts surveyed by LSEG expect revenue of $17.77 billion, though specific earnings per share estimates were not fully detailed in the available content.

Key Market Drivers:

The firm is positioned to benefit from several favorable market conditions. Trading desks across Wall Street experienced robust activity over the past year, while investment banking operations gained renewed momentum through increased mergers and acquisitions activity and a pickup in initial public offerings (IPOs).

Additionally, equity markets have reached record highs, which could provide a significant tailwind for Morgan Stanley's substantial wealth management division—one of the firm's core business segments.

Sector Context:

The positive trends in trading volumes, investment banking deals, and wealth management align with broader improvements in financial services sector performance. The resurgence in M&A activity and IPO markets suggests improved corporate confidence and capital markets conditions following a period of subdued dealmaking activity.

Market Implications:

Morgan Stanley's results will offer important insights into the health of Wall Street's trading operations, the sustainability of the investment banking recovery, and the performance of wealth management businesses in a strong equity market environment. The earnings report could set the tone for expectations around other major financial institutions' results and provide indicators for the broader financial services sector's performance heading into 2026.

Investors will be closely monitoring revenue breakdowns across trading, investment banking, and wealth management divisions to assess which businesses are driving growth.