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Factor-based investing strategies, also known as “smart beta,” track popular stock indices, but offer greater exposure to index constituents with attractive characteristics, or “factors.” Here’s what investors should know.
Check out these five steps to help make smart spending and saving decisions.
We all know we should have money set aside for emergencies. Here’s how to go about it.
Discover how gender lens investing can help enhance your portfolio’s bottom line while also promoting greater workplace diversity and equity.
As investors explore ways to enhance returns and manage risk, liquid alternative funds have emerged as a potential choice. Learn what they are and what to consider before investing.
Help your financial wellness with tips regarding retirement savings through different life stages.
The countdown to Tax Day has begun. Here are some steps you can take as the deadline approaches.
As the world increasingly transitions to a low-carbon economy, explore how you can pursue your climate action goals alongside your financial objectives.
The start of a new year can be a good time to revisit your budget, debt, and investments—and check them against your financial goals. These six steps can help get you started.
Everyone has a different idea of their dream retirement. To help you plan for your goals, Morgan Stanley strategists have identified common retirement spending patterns, lifestyles, and potential strategies that may help your nest egg last.
Learn why rising interest rates and inflation present headwinds for bond investors, and potential strategies to help manage risk.
The unpredictability of financial markets can disrupt even the best-laid retirement plans. These five strategies may help investors stay on track.
Learn the options for how to pay off debt you took on to pay for school.
Learn what drives inflation, how it’s measured, and ways to diversify portfolios to help hedge the risk it presents for investments.
Treasuries are a low-risk way to diversify portfolios and can provide ballast in times of uncertainty. Learn about the different types, benefits, and risks.
Discover the differences between gold and silver, how to invest in each, and considerations for adding precious metals to portfolios.
Municipal bonds, like other bonds, can provide investors with fixed income payments and capital preservation—but it’s their tax advantages that investors are often most curious about. Learn what to consider when investing in municipal bonds.
Your ability to earn an income may be one of your most valuable assets, but an accident or unforeseen illness can put that asset at risk. Here’s how to help protect it.
Learn about common social engineering scams you may encounter and ways to help prevent them.
Learn how to help protect you or your loved ones from common elder abuse scams.
Climate change presents risks, but there are ways for investors to take part in positive change.
Money is one of the trickiest topics to discuss—but avoiding the conversation can be even more problematic. These tips can help start the dialogue with your family.
Know the moves to make before year-end to start 2023 on the right track.
When it comes to investing for future education costs, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Consider these important factors and possible solutions.
They're tax friendly, flexible, and available to anyone. Yet, 529 education savings plans are still underused. Here are five things that parents, grandparents, and anyone hoping to get a leg up on college costs need to know.
After two years of near-zero interest rates, the Federal Reserve’s aggressive policy pivot has changed the market outlook. We break down the effects on bonds, stocks, and portfolios.
Structured investments can enhance a traditional stock and bond portfolio to address specific investment objectives within an overall investment plan—but they come with unique features and risks.
Structured investment products can be divided into four basic categories, each offering features designed for specific objectives.
For LGBT+ couples who decide to tie the knot, it’s important to review financial plans and understand the financial impacts of marriage. These tips can help.
Whether it’s panic selling, hiding out in cash, or making knee-jerk decisions in volatile markets, these behaviors can hurt investors in the long term. Learn how to spot—and avoid—common mistakes.
Thinking of taking the next step with someone special? Head off money headaches by talking about your finances first.
These funds may provide a lower-risk, liquid vehicle for short-term investors.
Learn what closed-end funds are, how they compare to open-end funds, and considerations when investing in them.
Learn about the differences between credit and debit cards, the various card types, and how to avoid destructive debt.
Too much debt can be crippling, but some debt, managed wisely, can be a smart financial tool. Check out three things to consider when deciding whether to take on debt.
The stock market is the cornerstone of investing. Before getting started, it’s a good idea to get familiar with the basics, including market indexes, the different types of stocks, and the factors that can affect a stock’s market value.
For investors, international equities can enhance diversification and offer growth potential. In fact, long-term demographic trends may even favor some non-US markets. Explore the different types of international markets and ways to invest.
A company’s market capitalization, or its market value, can help investors decide if the stock is a good fit for their portfolio. Learn how to calculate a market cap and the features of different market caps.
The consumer staples sector consists of goods that are constantly in demand, offering an option for investors seeking to incorporate a defensive strategy into their portfolios.
The utilities sector represents resources that are always in demand (think: water, gas), and it’s typically used as a defensive play in a portfolio. We break down characteristics of the utilities sector and key investing considerations.
Green bonds give fixed income investors a way to incorporate environmental and social causes into their portfolio strategies. We dig into what green bonds are, how they’ve started to gain traction, and what to consider before investing.
It’s important to start saving as early as possible. Learn why—plus get tips on how to become a savvy saver.
Whether you’re applying for a mortgage, purchasing car insurance, or signing up with a new internet provider, you will inevitably be asked about your credit. Understanding how this number is calculated and how to establish a healthy credit score early on in life can help increase your financial freedom and purchasing power in the future.
Investors may turn to money market mutual funds to generate potential earnings on cash needed in a short time frame. Ultra-short bond funds are another investing vehicle that may offer modestly higher yields—but also higher risk. Learn the difference between the two products.
Advances in technology and innovation have led to new breakthroughs in health care. Here’s a look at three areas of opportunity for long-term investors.
Lisa Shalett, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Officer, answers frequently asked questions in response to the historic events of last week, the resulting market volatility and implications for portfolios.
The classic portfolio of 60% stocks and 40% bonds may no longer provide the same level of returns it has delivered previously, but it may still be appropriate for some investors. Here’s why.
Discover how Morgan Stanley Research analysts think egg prices, as well as demand for packaged food, grocery retailers and restaurants, will fare in the year ahead.
Increasing demand and significant cost reductions have changed the clean energy landscape. Learn how decarbonization efforts may present long-term opportunities for investors.
From the resurgence of mega-cap tech stocks to the outlook for U.S. airlines and European banks, Morgan Stanley’s views differ from the consensus on key issues that could drive stock prices and shape markets in 2023.
A bull cycle has begun in emerging market equities, with China, Korea, and Taiwan helping to lead a recovery from a long bear market.
India is on track to become the world’s third largest economy by 2027, surpassing Japan and Germany, and have the third largest stock market by 2030, thanks to global trends and key investments the country has made in technology and energy.
The recent breakthrough in nuclear fusion represents a remarkable advancement in the development of a potentially radical decarbonization technology. But nuclear fusion technologies will need to advance much further before they can be relied upon as a source of abundant, sustainable energy.
Investors can gear up for a long-term shift in automotive trends, as electric vehicles are expected to account for 90% of auto sales by 2050.
The virtual realm known as the metaverse may be the world of tomorrow, but two technologies that enable it could create opportunities for investors today.
Renewable energy and electric vehicles could accelerate demand for copper and aluminum over the next decade, but supplies may struggle to keep up. Here’s what that could mean for investors.
In an environment of slow growth, lower inflation, and new monetary policies, 2023 may have upside for bonds, defensive stocks, and emerging markets.
The coming year is likely to see weaker growth, less inflation, and the end of rate hikes, with the U.S. narrowly missing a recession, Europe contracting, and Asia offering green shoots for growth.
Here’s what investors may want to know about the nascent technology that surrounds decentralized finance, and the investing landscape.
Recent action in the bond market may indicate higher interest rates and long-term inflation. What could it mean for investors?
Learn how to keep price increases from eroding the purchasing power of your cash. Explore investing as a way to help manage inflation while minimizing risk and volatility.
Biotechs are applying AI and machine learning to drug development, potentially creating dozens of new medicines and a $50 billion market over the next decade. Here’s what it means for patients and investors.
As companies try to shore up profit margins amid high inflation, Morgan Stanley sees an investment opportunity among sectors producing technologies to reduce costs and increase productivity.
Large global banks have an opportunity to develop new ‘green’ sources of revenue tied to everything from carbon trading to helping finance the estimated $50 trillion needed to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
Innovative treatments, policies, and physician engagement could help the market for weight-management medicines reach $54 billion in the next decade.
Dynamics other than the Federal Reserve’s ongoing inflation fight are having an impact on investors’ portfolios. Risks and opportunities to watch.
The cybersecurity sector is rapidly growing and developing new ways to guard against sophisticated attacks. How can investors participate in this long-term opportunity?
Learn why Morgan Stanley expects China’s economy to reopen by the end of 2022 and how investors can prepare for the shift from COVID-zero.
Learn why municipal bonds align with ESG principles that could make a positive impact and why these securities may be undervalued.
The global economy is becoming increasingly decentralized as part of a trend dubbed “slowbalization.” A look at what that means for supply chains and which countries and sectors may benefit from the shift toward a multipolar world economy.
Aging populations and lower technology costs are propelling companies to invest more in productivity-boosting automation. What could this mean for investors?
Global e-commerce stocks surged during the early days of Covid-19 but have since slumped. Despite overall slowing economic activity, key trends suggest e-commerce still has room to grow. What it means for economies, industries, and investors.
The “gig economy” is quickly evolving into a “multi-earner era” built on platforms that make it easy for individuals to plug into large audiences and earning power. Learn more about this emerging investing theme.
India’s GDP has increased 11-fold, and its equity market cap has grown by 30-fold over the past three decades. Discover what’s behind the country’s economic growth and the unique characteristics of its stock market.
Changes in the yield curve can signal concerns about the economy. Morgan Stanley strategists break down recent moves and why they may be less worrisome than in the past.
Carbon capture and storage could represent one of the best solutions for achieving a net-zero future while still meeting the world’s growing energy needs.
The gap between the world’s renewable supply of water and demand is expected to be 40% by 2030, bringing a new urgency to addressing water scarcity. Morgan Stanley’s Sustainable Research Team does a deep dive on the causes, implications, and solutions.
The global battery economy is shifting into high gear thanks to rapid EV adoption, improving technology and a new urgency for governments and corporates to decarbonize. A look at key takeaways for investors on this emerging theme.
A new study from Calvert, part of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, examines whether racial and ethnic board diversity can have a positive effect on stock performance.
Climate change, security, and telecoms are among the key themes driving a boom in the space economy. Here's a look at what’s behind the increased interest.
The new credit payment is the latest Fintech disruptor. Can established legacy banks adapt to keep up with the increased e-commerce demand and the red-hot tech services?
Investors have had mixed reactions to the 5G rollout worldwide, but an analysis of early-adopter markets suggests that 5G is surpassing expectations. Here are five key takeaways.
Podcasting revenue growth could be at an inflection point as content investment, expanding distribution, and advertising tech come together. Morgan Stanley Research offers an in-depth look at the future of audio.
The convergence of social media and gaming, along with increased opportunities for in-game monetization and the addition of new gaming platforms have fueled growth in the industry. What trends may be of interest to investors?
As Gen Z joins Gen Y in the workforce, the two cohorts could deliver a sizable jolt to US GDP, consumption, wages, and housing—presenting a bullish outlook for investors.
As Millennials and Gen Z overtake Baby Boomers as the dominant US consumers, which retail categories might benefit from the generational passing of the prime spending baton?
Findings from a recent Morgan Stanley survey reveal significant growth prospects for the online dating industry.
What’s another way to play compelling electrification themes, such as electric cars, modern energy grids, storage, and distributed power? A unique take for investors.
As the economy moves into the next stage of growth, many analysts anticipate supply constraints and robust demand combining to incentivize business investment. Learn what the evolving landscape may mean for energy-related companies.
Despite talk of COVID driving a long-term exodus from big cities, Morgan Stanley Research analysis shows that many are booming or rebounding. What does that mean for assets tied to urban living?
Findings from a recent Morgan Stanley survey highlight key initiatives within the evolving world of cloud tech.
Morgan Stanley Research explores what the post-pandemic work environment could mean for office REITs.
Not just water under the bridge: Which areas of the market may get a boost from an infrastructure bill?
Semiconductors are a $400 billion industry with demand booming as everyday objects become more high tech. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management highlights what investors should consider in this high-growth industry.