ETF Evaluator:
Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Large Blend Over the Last Year
| 62.5% | ARS Focused Opportunities Strategy ETF (AFOS) |
| 35.7% | Mohr Company Nav ETF (CNAV) |
| 33.9% | Impact Shares NAACP Minority Empwrmt ETF (NACP) |
| 31.8% | Astoria US Equal Weight Quality KingsETF (ROE) |
| 30.5% | FIS Bright Portfolios Focused Equity ETF (BRIF) |
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ETF Details
Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF Overview
Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF (MSLC) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Large Blend exchange-traded fund (ETF). Morgan Stanley launched the ETF in 1991.
The investment seeks capital appreciation.
The fund will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in the equity securities of large capitalization (or “cap”) companies or in other investments with similar economic characteristics. The manager defines large cap companies as companies whose market capitalizations typically fall within the range of the Russell 1000® Index.
About Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF (MSLC)
There are 11 members of the management team with an average tenure of 2.14 years: Paul Roukis (2023), Joseph Giroux (2026), Scott Bartone (2026), Margaret Vitrano (2017), Ehren Stanhope (2026), Jeff Agne (2023), Daniel Nitiutomo (2026), Claire Noel (2026), Bill Nolan (2023), Erica Furfaro (2025) and Thomas Rozycki (2023). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: Russell 1000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF has 791 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 34.5% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF has 1.4% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 97.6% There is 1.4% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF has 1.0% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $3 billion in total assets, which is below the $13 billion average for the Large Blend category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
MSLC Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Large Blend category. Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF has an expense ratio of 0.39%, which is 6% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 13%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.1 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 158% for the Large Blend category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF returned 0.7%, which earned it a grade of B, as the Large Blend category had an average return of -0.8%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF has a trailing yield of 0.81%, which is below the 1.16% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Morgan Stanley Pathway Large Cap Eq ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 8.8%, 0.7 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 15.9% over the past year (grade of D), 16.8% over the past three years (grade of D) and 10.1% per year over the past five years (grade of D) and 13.0% per year over the past 10 years (grade of D).
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MSLC Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| MSLC Return (NAV) | 0.7% | 4.1% | 15.9% | 16.8% | 10.1% | 13.0% |
| MSLC Return (Price) | 0.7% | 3.9% | 15.7% | 16.8% | 10.1% | 13.0% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.025% | 0.168% | 0.160% | 0.030% | 0.017% | 0.009% |
| Large Blend Avg | -0.8% | 3.7% | 17.5% | 17.4% | 11.2% | 13.6% |
| MSLC Grade (NAV) | B | D | D | D | D | D |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 1.5% | 0.4% | -1.7% | -0.6% | -1.0% | -0.6% |
| MSLC Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.7% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 1.6% |
MSLC Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| MSLC Return (NAV) | 8.8% | 15.5% | 21.9% | 24.7% | -20.1% | 23.7% | 18.7% | 29.1% | -4.8% | 20.5% | 6.2% |
| MSLC Return (Price) | 8.7% | 15.7% | 21.8% | 24.7% | -20.1% | 23.7% | 18.7% | 29.1% | -4.8% | 20.5% | 6.2% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.017% | 0.010% | -0.004% | 0.000% | 0.000% | 0.000% | 0.000% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Large Blend Avg | 9.5% | 15.3% | 21.9% | 22.9% | -17.1% | 26.9% | 18.3% | 29.6% | -5.1% | 21.5% | 11.4% |
| MSLC Grade (NAV) | D | C | C | C | D | F | C | D | C | D | F |
| +/- Category | -0.7% | 0.2% | -0.0% | 1.8% | -3.1% | -3.2% | 0.3% | -0.5% | 0.3% | -1.1% | -5.2% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.98 |
| R-Squared: | 99% |
| Standard Deviation: | 12.9% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.96 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.05 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.8% |
| Total Assets: | $ 3,977 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 3,977 Mil |
| Turnover: | 13.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.39% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | Russell 1000 TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 11 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 8.7 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 2.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Vitrano Margaret (2017), Roukis Paul (2023), Agne Jeff (2023), Nolan Bill (2023), Rozycki Thomas (2023), Furfaro Erica (2025), Nitiutomo Daniel (2026), Noel Claire (2026), Giroux Joseph (2026), Bartone Scott (2026), Stanhope Ehren (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 791 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 34.5% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 1.4% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 97.6% |
| Foreign Stock: | 1.4% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.0% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Morgan Stanley |
| Phone Number: | 800-869-3326 |
| Website: | www.smithbarney.com |
| Inception Date: | November 18, 1991 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.39% (Rating: Below Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.41% |