Burlington vs Morgan Stanley: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Burlington reported $11.6B of revenue in FY2025 and $610.2M of net income. Morgan Stanley reported $70.6B of revenue in FY2025 and $16.9B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Burlington
- Latest revenue
- $11.6B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $610.2M
- Net margin
- 5.3%
- Revenue growth
- +8.4% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Morgan Stanley
- Latest revenue
- $70.6B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $16.9B
- Net margin
- 23.9%
- Revenue growth
- +8.2% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Financial summary
Burlington
Burlington's total revenue roughly doubled from $5.59 billion in fiscal 2016 to $11.57 billion in fiscal 2025. The exception was fiscal 2020, when pandemic store closures cut revenue to $5.76 billion and produced a $216.5 million net loss. Profit has since grown faster than sales: net income went from $230.1 million in fiscal 2022 to $339.6 million, $503.6 million and $610.2 million over the next three years. Heavy store investment limits free cash flow, which was about $172 million in fiscal 2025 after roughly $1.06 billion of capital spending. In the second quarter of fiscal 2026 (to August 1, 2026), total sales rose 11 percent to $2.998 billion and net income was $184 million, including a $41 million after-tax benefit from tariff refunds. The company raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $11.77 to $11.97.
Morgan Stanley
Net revenues rose from $34.6B in 2016 to $70.6B in 2025, with net income reaching $16.9B in 2025. Under James Gorman (CEO 2010-2023) the firm added Smith Barney, E*TRADE, and Eaton Vance to build recurring fee revenue. Under Ted Pick, results accelerated: Q2 2026 net revenue of $21.35B was up 27% year over year, net income of $5.58B was up 58%, and first-half 2026 revenue was about $42B with ROTCE near 27%.
Revenue and profit by year
Burlington
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $11.6B | $610.2M | 5.3% | +8.8% | Source |
| FY2024 | $10.6B | $503.6M | 4.7% | +9.3% | Source |
| FY2023 | $9.7B | $339.6M | 3.5% | +11.8% | Source |
| FY2022 | $8.7B | $230.1M | 2.6% | -6.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $9.3B | $408.8M | 4.4% | +61.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $5.8B | -$216.5M | -3.8% | -20.9% | Source |
| FY2019 | $7.3B | $465.1M | 6.4% | +9.3% | Source |
| FY2018 | $6.7B | $414.7M | 6.2% | +9.1% | Source |
| FY2017 | $6.1B | $384.9M | 6.3% | +9.3% | Source |
| FY2016 | $5.6B | $215.9M | 3.9% | — | Source |
Morgan Stanley
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $70.6B | $16.9B | 23.9% | +14.4% | Source |
| FY2024 | $61.8B | $13.4B | 21.7% | +14.1% | Source |
| FY2023 | $54.1B | $9.1B | 16.8% | +0.9% | Source |
| FY2022 | $53.7B | $11B | 20.6% | -10.2% | Source |
| FY2021 | $59.8B | $15B | 25.2% | +22.6% | Source |
| FY2020 | $48.8B | $11B | 22.6% | +17.4% | Source |
| FY2019 | $41.5B | $9B | 21.8% | +3.6% | Source |
| FY2018 | $40.1B | $8.7B | 21.8% | +5.7% | Source |
| FY2017 | $37.9B | $6.1B | 16.1% | +9.6% | Source |
| FY2016 | $34.6B | $6B | 17.3% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Burlington
- In-store net sales99.85%
Net sales of $11.55B in fiscal 2025 from merchandise sold in Burlington stores. There has been no e-commerce channel since March 2020.
- Other revenue0.15%
About $17.3M in fiscal 2025 from sources such as rental income and service fees.
Morgan Stanley
- Institutional Securities
Not formally reported
Advisory, underwriting, sales and trading, prime brokerage, lending, and capital markets services.
- Wealth Management
Not formally reported
Advisor fees, brokerage commissions, net interest income, lending, deposits, E*TRADE, and workplace services.
- Investment Management
Not formally reported
Asset-management fees from institutional and individual investors, including Eaton Vance and Parametric products.
- Banking and lending
Not formally reported
Net interest income and lending products connected to wealth and institutional clients.
Business model and strategy
Burlington
How it makes money
Burlington makes nearly all of its money from merchandise sold in its stores. Net sales were $11.55 billion of its $11.57 billion fiscal 2025 total revenue; the remaining $17 million of other revenue comes from sources such as rental income and service fees.
Growth strategy
Burlington grows mainly by opening stores. It added 178 gross and 149 net new stores in the 12 months to August 1, 2026, and plans about 115 net openings in fiscal 2026. New stores use a smaller prototype of about 25,000 square feet instead of the very large boxes of the Coat Factory era, which lowers rent and labor per store.
Competitive advantage
Burlington's edge is cost and flexibility. Because it does not commit to full seasonal assortments months ahead, its buyers can take excess branded inventory when it becomes available and price it below department stores. Selling only in stores, with no e-commerce since March 2020, keeps parcel shipping and online returns out of the cost base.
Morgan Stanley
How it makes money
Morgan Stanley reports three segments. Institutional Securities earns advisory and underwriting fees, equity and fixed-income trading revenue, prime brokerage financing, and corporate lending income. Wealth Management earns asset-based advisory fees, brokerage commissions, and net interest income on client deposits and loans across its advisor network, E*TRADE, and Morgan Stanley at Work.
Growth strategy
The strategy is to grow client assets across the wealth and investment management franchise, use Morgan Stanley at Work and E*TRADE as feeders into advisor-led accounts, and keep share in equities, advisory, and underwriting. The firm also deploys AI tools for advisors, including assistants built with OpenAI.
Competitive advantage
Morgan Stanley's edge is the combination of a leading equities and advisory franchise with one of the largest wealth platforms in the US. Workplace stock plans and E*TRADE bring in employees and self-directed investors early, and advisor-led wealth management retains them as their assets grow. That mix of fee-based wealth revenue and cyclical Wall Street revenue gives it steadier earnings than a pure investment bank.
Questions about Burlington vs Morgan Stanley
Which company has higher revenue — Burlington Stores, Inc. or Morgan Stanley?
Burlington Stores, Inc. reported $11.6B (FY2025), while Morgan Stanley reported $70.6B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Morgan Stanley is the larger business, with Burlington Stores, Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Burlington Stores, Inc. vs Morgan Stanley?
Burlington Stores, Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $16.8B, while Morgan Stanley's is $330.9B. Morgan Stanley carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Burlington Stores, Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — Burlington Stores, Inc. or Morgan Stanley?
Burlington Stores, Inc. generates $139k / employee in revenue per employee, while Morgan Stanley generates $851k / employee. Morgan Stanley shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Burlington Stores, Inc. and Morgan Stanley make money?
Burlington Stores, Inc. and Morgan Stanley generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Burlington Stores, Inc.: Burlington makes nearly all of its money from merchandise sold in its stores. Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley reports three segments.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Burlington Stores, Inc. or Morgan Stanley?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Burlington Stores, Inc. trades at 1.5x P/S and Morgan Stanley at 4.7x P/S. Morgan Stanley commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Burlington Stores, Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Burlington Stores, Inc. bigger than Morgan Stanley?
By last reported revenue, Morgan Stanley ($70.6B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Burlington Stores, Inc. ($11.6B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Burlington vs Morgan Stanley overview