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Morgan Stanley United States

RAROC profile and corporate credit pricing model derived from Pillar 3 disclosures.

Last updated: March 2026 · Data source: public Pillar 3 disclosures
Cost-to-income
65.0%
Operating efficiency
Effective tax rate
24.0%
Applied to RAROC numerator
Avg corporate PD
0.94%
Probability of default
Avg LGD unsecured
43.1%
Loss given default

How Morgan Stanley prices corporate credit

Morgan Stanley is a United States-based bank with approximately EUR 578bn of corporate credit exposure (EAD) under the A-IRB approach to credit risk capital. The numbers below come directly from Morgan Stanley's most recent Pillar 3 CR6 regulatory filings and are used to model how this bank prices corporate credit facilities.

What makes Morgan Stanley's book distinctive

Morgan Stanley is mid-sized by corporate EAD (21 of 59). Its cost-to-income ratio of 65.0% is in line with the European large-bank average (+15.2pp vs the 59-bank cross-section average of 49.8%). The corporate portfolio is predominantly investment-grade, with an EAD-weighted average PD of 0.9% against a cross-bank average of 2.1%.

Because the bank runs the advanced IRB approach, its own LGD and credit-conversion models drive capital requirements, which on our comparable sample deal typically produces tighter minimum spreads than foundation-IRB peers with identical obligor risk. Unsecured LGD disclosed at 43.1% is +6.2pp against the 36.8% cross-bank average, indicating a harder workout profile than the peer median and pushing up capital consumption on defaulted exposures.

On the standardised BBB+ EUR 25M 5-year term loan used across every bank profile, Morgan Stanley lands in the top half of the pricing ranking (#25 of 59), with a RAROC of 7.40% and a minimum spread of 249bp to reach the 12% hurdle. Within United States specifically, the bank ranks #7 of 7 on this same calculation.

ParameterValueWhat it means
IRB approachA-IRBHow the bank computes risk-weighted assets
Cost-to-income ratio65.0%Operating cost share of net revenue
Effective tax rate24.0%Applied to RAROC numerator after EL and funding
Average corporate PD0.94%EAD-weighted probability of default
Avg LGD (unsecured)43.1%Loss share if borrower defaults, no collateral
Avg LGD (secured)20.0%Loss share with eligible collateral
Funding spread15bpBank's wholesale funding cost above risk-free
Corporate EADEUR 578bnTotal exposure at default to corporates

Sample RAROC calculation

On a representative BBB+ rated, 5-year term loan of EUR 25M at 150bp spread with a 20bp commitment fee, Morgan Stanley would generate an estimated RAROC of 7.40% against a typical 12% bank hurdle rate. To hit that hurdle on this exact deal, the bank would need a minimum spread of 249bp. This deal is significantly below target — the bank would either reprice it or decline.

ComponentValue
Annual revenue (spread + fees)EUR 385,000
Operating costEUR 154,000
Expected loss (PD × LGD × EAD)EUR 28,750
Capital required (FPE)EUR 2,451,320
RAROC (after tax)7.40%
Min spread to hit 12% RAROC249bp

How Morgan Stanley compares to peers

Out of 59 banks in the OpenRAROC dataset, Morgan Stanley ranks #25 by RAROC on this sample deal.

RankBankCountryRAROCMin spread
1Qatar National BankQatar9.00%203bp
2DBS GroupSingapore8.18%224bp
3JP MorganUnited States8.12%231bp
4ICBCChina8.06%233bp
5China Construction BankChina8.06%233bp
24Goldman SachsUnited States7.40%249bp
25Morgan StanleyUnited States7.40%249bp
26NatWest GroupUnited Kingdom7.37%250bp
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Other United States banks

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Compare Morgan Stanley to peers

Morgan Stanley vs Bank of AmericaMorgan Stanley vs JP MorganMorgan Stanley vs Citibank

Frequently asked questions about Morgan Stanley

What is Morgan Stanley's average corporate PD?
Morgan Stanley discloses an EAD-weighted average corporate probability of default of 0.94% in its most recent Pillar 3 CR6 table, covering roughly EUR 578bn of corporate credit exposure.
How much spread does Morgan Stanley need on a BBB+ EUR 25M 5-year term loan?
On that standardised facility, Morgan Stanley requires a minimum spread of approximately 249bp to reach a 12% RAROC hurdle, given its disclosed cost-to-income of 65.0%, effective tax rate of 24.0%, and A-IRB IRB designation.
Which IRB approach does Morgan Stanley use for corporate credit?
Morgan Stanley reports corporate credit RWA under the A-IRB approach. This determines whether internal LGD models or supervisory LGDs apply, and directly affects the capital required on each facility.
How does Morgan Stanley rank versus peers on RAROC?
Out of 59 banks tracked by OpenRAROC, Morgan Stanley ranks #25 on the standardised BBB+ term-loan calculation used across every bank profile. Within United States specifically, it ranks #7 of 7.
Where does OpenRAROC get Morgan Stanley's data?
Every number on this page is extracted from Morgan Stanley's own public filings: Morgan Stanley Pillar 3 Q4 2025 Table p.10. No estimates, no proxies. Source confidence: high.

Data source

Morgan Stanley Pillar 3 Q4 2025 Table p.10

Wholesale: EAD $578bn, PD 0.94%, LGD 43.08%. US Basel.

Confidence: high · Read the full RAROC methodology

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