Discontinued — last reported Q2 '13
Compensation and benefits
Operating ExpensesMorgan Stanley Compensation and benefits decreased by 5.1% to $7.06B in Q4 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 12.3%, from $6.29B to $7.06B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Compensation and benefits shows an upward trend with a 4.4% CAGR. This increase may warrant attention — for this metric, lower values are generally preferred.
Analysis
How to read this metric
An increase relative to revenue may signal declining operational efficiency or aggressive talent acquisition, while a decrease may indicate cost-cutting or reduced performance-based incentives.
Detailed definition
The total cost of employee salaries, bonuses, stock-based compensation, and related benefits. As a labor-intensive indus...
Peer comparison
Standard operating expense metric for all large-scale service organizations.
is_compensation_and_benefitsHistorical Data
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $6.42B | $5.92B | $5.49B | $6.27B | $5.55B | $5.61B | $5.62B | $6.41B | $6.26B | $5.94B | $5.95B | $6.70B | $6.46B | $6.73B | $6.29B | $7.52B | $7.19B | $7.44B | $7.06B |
| QoQ Change | — | -7.8% | -7.3% | +14.3% | -11.5% | +1.2% | +0.0% | +14.2% | -2.3% | -5.2% | +0.3% | +12.5% | -3.5% | +4.2% | -6.6% | +19.6% | -4.4% | +3.5% | -5.1% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | -13.6% | -5.2% | +2.3% | +2.2% | +12.8% | +5.7% | +6.0% | +4.5% | +3.2% | +13.4% | +5.7% | +12.3% | +11.3% | +10.5% | +12.3% |
Business Segments
Compensation and benefits at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Morgan Stanley's compensation and benefits?
- Morgan Stanley (MS) reported compensation and benefits of $7.06B in Q4 2025.
- How has Morgan Stanley's compensation and benefits changed year-over-year?
- Morgan Stanley's compensation and benefits increased by 12.3% year-over-year, from $6.29B to $7.06B.
- What is the long-term trend for Morgan Stanley's compensation and benefits?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Morgan Stanley's compensation and benefits has grown at a 4.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $24.63B to $29.22B.
- What does compensation and benefits mean?
- The total cost of paying and providing benefits to the bank's employees.