Why Morgan Stanley: Interviews, Careers, & Portfolio

Morgan Stanley Overview

Morgan Stanley is a multinational investment bank which, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, trades, manages, trades, originates, and distributes capital for individuals, governments, and institutions.

The firm operates in three business segments:

1. Institutional Securities
2. Wealth Management
3. Investment Management

The original Morgan Stanley, which was established by former J.P. Morgan & Co. partners Harold Stanley, Henry Morgan, and others, was established in September 1935. This was in response to the Glass-Steagall Act that required the splitting of American investment banking and commercial businesses.

The present Morgan Stanley came from the merger of the original Morgan Morgan Stanley with Dean Witter Discover & Co. back in 1997.

In their first year, the firm operated with $1.1BB market share (24%) in private placements and public offerings.

In the 2023 Fortune 500 list of the largest US corporations by total revenue, Morgan Stanley ranked No. 61. The firm also had its initial public offering on February 5, 1997 under the ticker NYSE:MS.

Morgan Stanley is based in Manhattan, New York City, USA.

Morgan Stanley AUM

According to the most recent regulatory filings, Morgan Stanley has $490.6 BB in assets under management as of March 31, 2023.

Morgan Stanley Interview Process & Questions

Firms may decide to tweak their interview process with each candidate. However, you’ll find that the general nature of the interview stays the same. When you interview at Morgan Stanley, you can expect:

• 4 to 6 rounds of interviews
• For the initial rounds, the junior professionals will be in charge of the interview. For the later part, the senior staff take over.
• Entire process typically lasts for several weeks – except for on-cycle or on-campus recruiting

The interview questions will be a combination of behavioral, fit, and investing questions so make sure to prepare for that.

My Growth Equity Interview Guide is an excellent resource in case you need help preparing for interviews.

Why Morgan Stanley

“Why this firm?” almost always shows up during interviews – and also one of the most critical questions you have to answer.

If you’ve done networking to get connected with the firm’s employees, this is the right time to mention whoever you’ve met and how their experiences have positively influenced your decision to apply.

You can also try listening to interviews with the firm’s founders, portfolio companies, and key personnels to come up with relevant answers.

For starters, here’s an interview with Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick as he discusses his vision for Morgan Stanley:

More Interview

• Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick discusses his new role as CEO

Morgan Stanley Case Study

Communication skills and technical knowledge are two important factors that investment firms like Morgan Stanley consider when selecting the right candidate. They often use case study to evaluate these traits.

Most case studies will have you perform financial modeling and provide investment recommendations. However, cold calling case study may also be included if you’re applying for junior roles.

You can find more case study resources inside my Growth Equity Interview Guide.

Morgan Stanley Salary & Compensation

As per Glassdoor, analysts at Morgan Stanley have earned salaries of $109K per year, while associates have an estimated total pay of $142K per year. Figures may vary depending on many factors like experience, location, and education.

Analyst

Associate

Morgan Stanley Careers, Jobs, & Internships

Visit our job board if you’re looking for open roles at Morgan Stanley or other similar firms.

Morgan Stanley Portfolio & Investments

According to Crunchbase, Morgan Stanley has made 250 investments and 16 acquisitions. Some of their notable deals include RowCal, DataGuard, and Bodily.

Notable Transaction: Vortexa

Vortexa is a company that provides real-time data and advanced analytics for freight and energy markets. They cover LPG and LNG, refined products, and crude oil across all vessel classes with their most complete and accurate picture of global flows, inventories, and freight.

Vortexa helps analysts, traders, and freight professionals make better trading decisions so they can have a competitive edge into the complex markets.

In January 2024, Vortexa secured a $34 million investment from a Series C funding round led by the investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital – with participation from existing investors Communitas Capital, FJ Labs, Metaplanet, Monashees, and Notion Capital.

The investment brought the total amount raised by the Company since inception to over $60 million. They plan to use the fund to accelerate their expansion worldwide, improve their quality of service, and level up their technology.

Next Steps

If you decide to send your application and build your investing career at Morgan Stanley, I would highly recommend that you check out my Growth Equity Interview Guide first before attending interviews.

Growth Equity Interview Guide helps professionals get a good grasp of topics that are typically covered during interviews such as financial modeling, case studies, and more. Check it out and start learning today!