Professional fees
Operating ExpensesMorgan Stanley Professional fees increased by 12.3% to $769.00M in Q4 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 3.6%, from $798.00M to $769.00M. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Professional fees shows relatively stable performance with a -0.8% CAGR. This is a positive signal — lower values indicate better performance for this metric.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryEfficiency
SignalLower is better
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ4 2014
Last reportedQ4 2025
How to read this metric
Spikes often indicate non-recurring strategic projects or legal challenges, while stable levels suggest predictable operational support.
Detailed definition
Professional fees include payments for external legal, accounting, consulting, and advisory services. These costs are of...
Peer comparison
Standard line item in SG&A; comparable to 'Professional Services' at most large-cap corporations.
Metric ID:
is_professional_feesHistorical Data
19 periods
| 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 | $746.00M | $734.00M | $829.00M | $705.00M | $757.00M | $755.00M | $853.00M | $710.00M | $767.00M | $759.00M | $822.00M | $639.00M | $753.00M | $711.00M | $798.00M | $674.00M | $711.00M | $685.00M | $769.00M |
| QoQ Change | — | -1.6% | +12.9% | -15.0% | +7.4% | -0.3% | +13.0% | -16.8% | +8.0% | -1.0% | +8.3% | -22.3% | +17.8% | -5.6% | +12.2% | -15.5% | +5.5% | -3.7% | +12.3% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +1.5% | +2.9% | +2.9% | +0.7% | +1.3% | +0.5% | -3.6% | -10.0% | -1.8% | -6.3% | -2.9% | +5.5% | -5.6% | -3.7% | -3.6% |
Range$639.00M – $853.00M
CAGR+0.7%
Avg YoY Growth-1.5%
Median YoY Growth-1.8%
Professional fees at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Morgan Stanley's professional fees?
- Morgan Stanley (MS) reported professional fees of $769.00M in Q4 2025.
- How has Morgan Stanley's professional fees changed year-over-year?
- Morgan Stanley's professional fees decreased by 3.6% year-over-year, from $798.00M to $769.00M.
- What is the long-term trend for Morgan Stanley's professional fees?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Morgan Stanley's professional fees has grown at a -0.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $2.93B to $2.84B.
- What does professional fees mean?
- The cost of hiring outside experts like lawyers, consultants, and auditors.