Morgan Stanley Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Earnings Results

Morgan Stanley Reports Fourth Quarter Net Revenues of $14.5 Billion, EPS of $2.01 and ROTCE of 19.8%; Record Full Year Net Revenues of $59.8 Billion, EPS of $8.03 and ROTCE of 19.8%

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) today reported net revenues of $14.5 billion for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2021 compared with $13.6 billion a year ago. Net income applicable to Morgan Stanley was $3.7 billion, or $2.01 per diluted share,¹ compared with $3.4 billion, or $1.81 per diluted share,¹ for the same period a year ago.

Full year net revenues were $59.8 billion compared with $48.8 billion a year ago. Net income applicable to Morgan Stanley for the current year was $15.0 billion, or $8.03 per diluted share,¹ compared with $11.0 billion, or $6.46 per diluted share,¹ a year ago. The comparisons of current year results to prior periods were impacted by the acquisitions of E*TRADE Financial Corporation (“E*TRADE”) and Eaton Vance Corp. (“Eaton Vance”).

James P. Gorman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “2021 was an outstanding year for our Firm. We delivered record net revenues of $60 billion and a ROTCE of 20%, with stand-out results in each of our business segments. Wealth Management grew client assets by nearly $1 trillion to $4.9 trillion this year, with $438 billion in net new assets. Combined with Investment Management, we now have $6.5 trillion in client assets. Our integrated investment bank has continued to gain wallet share. We have a sustainable business model with scale, capital flexibility, momentum and growth.”

Fourth Quarter Results

Institutional Securities

Institutional Securities reported net revenues for the current quarter of $6.7 billion compared with $7.0 billion a year ago. Pre-tax income was $3.0 billion compared with $3.2 billion a year ago.⁹

Total Expenses:

• Compensation expense decreased from a year ago reflecting lower expenses related to certain deferred compensation plans linked to investment performance.
• Non-compensation expenses increased from a year ago primarily driven by higher volume related expenses.

Wealth Management

Wealth Management reported net revenues for the current quarter of $6.3 billion compared with $5.7 billion a year ago. Pre-tax income of $1.4 billion⁹ in the current quarter resulted in a pre-tax margin of 22.6% or 24.4% excluding the impact of integration-related expenses.^6,8

Investment Management

Investment Management reported net revenues of $1.8 billion compared with $1.1 billion a year ago. Pre-tax income was $508 million compared with $196 million a year ago.⁹ The comparisons of current year results to prior periods were impacted by the acquisition of Eaton Vance completed on March 1, 2021.

• Non-compensation expenses increased from a year ago primarily driven by the Eaton Vance acquisition. ⁶

Full Year Results

Institutional Securities

Institutional Securities reported record net revenues of $29.8 billion compared with $26.5 billion a year ago. Pre-tax income was $11.8 billion compared with $9.2 billion in the prior year.⁹

Provision for credit losses:

• Provision for credit losses decreased from a year ago as a result of an improved macroeconomic environment versus the prior year.

Total Expenses:

• Compensation expense increased from a year ago driven by higher discretionary compensation on higher revenues as well as increases in salaries and benefits.
• Non-compensation expenses increased from a year ago primarily driven by higher volume related expenses.

Wealth Management

Wealth Management reported net revenues of $24.2 billion compared with $19.1 billion a year ago. Pre-tax income of $6.2 billion⁹ in the current year resulted in a reported pre-tax margin of 25.5% or 26.9% excluding the impact of integration-related expenses.^6,8 The comparisons of current year results to prior periods were impacted by the acquisition of E*TRADE in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Total Expenses:

• Compensation expense increased from a year ago primarily driven by higher compensable revenues and higher compensation driven by the E*TRADE acquisition.⁶
• Non-compensation expenses increased from a year ago primarily driven by the E*TRADE acquisition.⁶

Investment Management

Investment Management reported net revenues of $6.2 billion compared with $3.7 billion a year ago. Pre-tax income was $1.7 billion compared with $870 million in the prior year.⁹ The comparisons of current year results to prior periods were impacted by the acquisition of Eaton Vance completed on March 1, 2021.

Total Expenses:

• Compensation expense increased from a year ago driven by the Eaton Vance acquisition⁶ and higher compensation associated with carried interest, partially offset by lower expenses related to certain deferred compensation plans linked to investment performance.
• Non-compensation expenses increased from a year ago primarily driven by the Eaton Vance acquisition.⁶

Other Matters

Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in more than 41 countries, the Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

A financial summary follows. Financial, statistical and business-related information, as well as information regarding business and segment trends, is included in the financial supplement. Both the earnings release and the financial supplement are available online in the Investor Relations section at www.morganstanley.com.

NOTICE:

The information provided herein and in the financial supplement, including information provided on the Firm’s earnings conference calls, may include certain non-GAAP financial measures. The definition of such measures or reconciliation of such measures to the comparable U.S. GAAP figures are included in this earnings release and the financial supplement, both of which are available on www.morganstanley.com.

This earnings release may contain forward-looking statements, including the attainment of certain financial and other targets, objectives and goals. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made, which reflect management’s current estimates, projections, expectations, assumptions, interpretations or beliefs and which are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. For a discussion of risks and uncertainties that may affect the future results of the Firm, please see “Forward-Looking Statements” preceding Part I, Item 1, “Competition” and “Supervision and Regulation” in Part I, Item 1, “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A, “Legal Proceedings” in Part I, Item 3, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 and “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Risk” in Part II, Item 7A in the Firm’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and other items throughout the Form 10-K, the Firm’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and the Firm’s Current Reports on Form 8-K, including any amendments thereto.

¹ Includes preferred dividends related to the calculation of earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2021 and 2020 of approximately $104 million and $119 million, respectively. Includes preferred dividends related to the calculation of earnings per share for the years ended 2021 and 2020 of approximately $468 million and $496 million, respectively.

² The Firm prepares its Consolidated Financial Statements using accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP). From time to time, Morgan Stanley may disclose certain “non-GAAP financial measures” in the course of its earnings releases, earnings conference calls, financial presentations and otherwise. The Securities and Exchange Commission defines a “non-GAAP financial measure” as a numerical measure of historical or future financial performance, financial position, or cash flows that is subject to adjustments that effectively exclude, or include amounts from the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures disclosed by Morgan Stanley are provided as additional information to analysts, investors and other stakeholders in order to provide them with greater transparency about, or an alternative method for assessing our financial condition, operating results, or capital adequacy. These measures are not in accordance with, or a substitute for U.S. GAAP, and may be different from or inconsistent with non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. Whenever we refer to a non-GAAP financial measure, we will also generally define it or present the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, along with a reconciliation of the differences between the non-GAAP financial measure we reference and such comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure.

³ Our earnings releases, earnings conference calls, financial presentations and other communications may also include certain metrics which we believe to be useful to us, analysts, investors, and other stakeholders by providing further transparency about, or an additional means of assessing, our financial condition and operating results.

⁴ The provision for credit losses for loans and lending commitments is now presented as a separate line in the consolidated income statements.

⁵ Return on average tangible common equity is a non-GAAP financial measures that the Firm considers useful for analysts, investors and other stakeholders to allow comparability of period-to-period operating performance and capital adequacy. The calculation of return on average tangible common equity represents full year or annualized net income applicable to Morgan Stanley less preferred dividends as a percentage of average tangible common equity. Tangible common equity, also a non-GAAP financial measure, represents common equity less goodwill and intangible assets net of allowable mortgage servicing rights deduction.

⁶ The Firm’s and business segment’s fourth quarter and full year results for 2021 and 2020 include integration-related expenses as a result of the E*TRADE and Eaton Vance acquisitions reported in the Wealth Management segment and Investment Management segment, respectively. The amounts are presented as follows (in millions):

⁷ The Firm expense efficiency ratio of 67.1% represents total non-interest expenses as a percentage of net revenues. The Firm expense efficiency ratio excluding integration-related expenses of 66.3% represents total non-interest expenses adjusted for integration-related expenses as a percentage of net revenues. The Firm expense efficiency ratio excluding integration-related expenses is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Firm considers useful for analysts, investors and other stakeholders to allow comparability of period-to-period operating performance.

⁸ Pre-tax margin represents income before taxes divided by net revenues. Wealth Management pre-tax margin excluding the integration-related expenses represents income before taxes less those expenses divided by net revenues. Wealth Management pre-tax margin excluding integration-related expenses is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Firm considers useful for analysts, investors and other stakeholders to allow comparability of period-to-period operating performance.

⁹ Pre-tax income represents income before taxes.

¹⁰ Wealth Management fee-based client assets represent the amount of assets in client accounts where the basis of payment for services is a fee calculated on those assets.

¹¹ Wealth Management fee-based asset flows include net new fee-based assets (including asset acquisitions), net account transfers, dividends, interest, and client fees, and exclude institutional cash management related activity.

¹² Wealth Management net new assets represent client inflows, including dividends and interest, and asset acquisitions, less client outflows, and exclude activity from business combinations/divestitures and the impact of fees and commissions.

¹³ AUM is defined as assets under management or supervision.

¹⁴ Long-term net flows include the Equity, Fixed Income and Alternative and Solutions asset classes and excludes the Liquidity and Overlay Services asset class.

¹⁵ Transactional revenues include investment banking, trading, and commissions and fee revenues. Transactional revenues excluding the impact of mark-to-market gains on investments associated with employee deferred cash-based compensation plans is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Firm considers useful for analysts, investors and other stakeholders to allow better comparability of period-to-period operating performance and capital adequacy.

¹⁶ Capital ratios are estimates as of the press release date, January 19, 2022.

¹⁷ CET1 capital is defined as Common Equity Tier 1 capital. The Firm’s risk-based capital ratios are computed under each of the (i) standardized approaches for calculating credit risk and market risk risk-weighted assets (RWAs) (the “Standardized Approach”) and (ii) applicable advanced approaches for calculating credit risk, market risk and operational risk RWAs (the “Advanced Approach”). For information on the calculation of regulatory capital and ratios, and associated regulatory requirements, please refer to "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources – Regulatory Requirements" in the Firm’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 (2020 Form 10-K).

¹⁸ The Tier 1 leverage ratio is a leverage-based capital requirement that measures the Firm’s leverage. Tier 1 leverage ratio utilizes Tier 1 capital as the numerator and average adjusted assets as the denominator.

¹⁹ The Firm’s supplementary leverage ratio (SLR) utilizes a Tier 1 capital numerator of approximately $83.4 billion and $88.1 billion, and supplementary leverage exposure denominator of approximately $1.48 trillion and $1.19 trillion, for the fourth quarter of 2021 and 2020, respectively. Based on a Federal Reserve interim final rule that was in effect until March 31, 2021, our SLR and supplementary leverage exposure as of December 31, 2020 reflect the exclusion of U.S. Treasury securities and deposits at Federal Reserve Banks. The exclusion of these assets had the effect of increasing our SLR by 0.8% as of December 31, 2020.

²⁰ The Firm early adopted the standardized approach for counterparty credit risk (SA-CCR) under Basel III on December 1, 2021. SA-CCR replaced the current exposure method used to measure derivatives counterparty exposure within the Standardized Approach risk-weighted assets (RWAs) and Supplementary Leverage Ratio exposure calculations in the regulatory capital framework. As a result of the adoption, as of December 31, 2021 our risk-weighted assets under the Standardized Approach increased by $23 billion and our Standardized CET1 capital ratio decreased by 82 basis points.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220116005037/en/