General Motors vs Morgan Stanley: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
General Motors reported $185B of revenue in FY2025 and $2.7B of net income. Morgan Stanley reported $70.6B of revenue in FY2025 and $16.9B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
General Motors
- Latest revenue
- $185B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $2.7B
- Net margin
- 1.5%
- Revenue growth
- +2.4% 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
General Motors
GM's finances are funded by internal-combustion trucks and SUVs. In 2025 it generated $185.0 billion of revenue, $12.7 billion of EBIT-adjusted, and $10.6 billion of adjusted automotive free cash flow, but EV write-downs cut net income attributable to stockholders 55% to $2.7 billion. Q1 2026 revenue was $43.6 billion with $2.6 billion of net income; Q2 2026 revenue was $48.0 billion with $1.3 billion of net income, $3.9 billion of EBIT-adjusted, and North America margins back inside GM's 8-10% target. GM returns large amounts of cash to shareholders and approved a new $6.0 billion buyback alongside a 20% higher quarterly dividend in January 2026.
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
General Motors
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $185B | $2.7B | 1.5% | -1.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $187.4B | $6B | 3.2% | +9.1% | Source |
| FY2023 | $171.8B | $10.1B | 5.9% | +9.6% | Source |
| FY2022 | $156.7B | $9.9B | 6.3% | +23.4% | Source |
| FY2021 | $127B | $10B | 7.9% | +3.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $122.5B | $6.4B | 5.2% | -10.7% | Source |
| FY2019 | $137.2B | $6.7B | 4.9% | -6.7% | Source |
| FY2018 | $147B | $8B | 5.4% | +1.0% | Source |
| FY2017 | $145.6B | -$3.9B | -2.7% | -2.4% | Source |
| FY2016 | $149.2B | $9.4B | 6.3% | — | 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
General Motors
- North America Vehicle Sales
Largest profit pool
Revenue comes from wholesale sales of Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick vehicles, with trucks and large SUVs driving a disproportionate share of profit.
- GM Financial
Captive finance
Revenue comes from retail loans, leases, dealer floorplan financing, commercial lending, and related finance products that support GM vehicle sales.
- International Vehicle Sales
International operations
Revenue comes from vehicle sales and operations outside North America, including South America and select global markets.
- China Joint Ventures
Equity-method exposure
GM participates in China through joint ventures, making performance visible through equity income rather than fully consolidated vehicle revenue.
- Software, Services, and Parts
Recurring and aftermarket
Revenue comes from OnStar, Super Cruise, connected services, parts, accessories, fleet services, and other software-enabled vehicle products.
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
General Motors
How it makes money
GM makes money mainly by building and wholesaling vehicles to its dealer network, then earning a second layer of profit through GM Financial, its captive lender. GM North America (GMNA) is the profit engine: full-size pickups such as the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra and large SUVs such as the Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade carry far higher margins than small cars or current EVs.
Growth strategy
GM's growth strategy has shifted from an all-EV push to flexibility. It still sells EVs on its Ultium-based platforms, such as the Chevrolet Equinox EV and Cadillac Lyriq, but after 2025 it cut EV capacity, kept investing in gas trucks and SUVs, and plans lower-cost lithium manganese-rich (LMR) cells with LG Energy Solution.
Competitive advantage
GM's clearest advantage is scale in U.S. full-size pickups and SUVs: it has led the full-size pickup segment for six straight years, selling about 940,000 in 2025. That franchise, a national Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac dealer network, and GM Financial's captive lending give it cash flow and pricing power that newer EV-only rivals do not have.
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 General Motors vs Morgan Stanley
Which company has higher revenue — General Motors Company or Morgan Stanley?
General Motors Company reported $185.0B (FY2025), while Morgan Stanley reported $70.6B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, General Motors Company is the larger business, with Morgan Stanley reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of General Motors Company vs Morgan Stanley?
General Motors Company's market capitalisation stands at $74.9B, while Morgan Stanley's is $330.9B. Morgan Stanley carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to General Motors Company.
Which is more financially efficient — General Motors Company or Morgan Stanley?
General Motors Company generates $1.19M / employee in revenue per employee, while Morgan Stanley generates $851k / employee. General Motors Company 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 General Motors Company and Morgan Stanley make money?
General Motors Company and Morgan Stanley generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. General Motors Company: GM makes money mainly by building and wholesaling vehicles to its dealer network, then earning a second layer of profit through GM Financial, its captive lender. Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley reports three segments.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — General Motors Company or Morgan Stanley?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, General Motors Company trades at 0.4x 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 General Motors Company. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is General Motors Company bigger than Morgan Stanley?
By last reported revenue, General Motors Company ($185.0B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Morgan Stanley ($70.6B (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 General Motors vs Morgan Stanley overview