MSCI (NYSE:MSCI) Given New $720.00 Price Target at UBS Group

MSCI (NYSE:MSCI) had its price objective lifted by UBS Group from $710.00 to $720.00 in a report issued on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the technology company’s stock.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on MSCI. Evercore increased their price target on MSCI from $655.00 to $690.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of MSCI in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Bank of America assumed coverage on MSCI in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $700.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and issued a $715.00 target price on shares of MSCI in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $730.00 target price on shares of MSCI in a research report on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSCI currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $692.70.

MSCI Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of MSCI stock opened at $607.55 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $551.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $561.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.70, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.30. MSCI has a twelve month low of $501.08 and a twelve month high of $626.28.

MSCI (NYSE:MSCI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The technology company reported $4.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.38 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $850.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $830.91 million. MSCI had a negative return on equity of 65.48% and a net margin of 40.74%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.00 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that MSCI will post 19.39 earnings per share for the current year.

MSCI Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. MSCI’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 52.26%.

Insider Activity at MSCI

In related news, CFO Andrew C. Wiechmann sold 450 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $560.00, for a total value of $252,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 22,544 shares in the company, valued at $12,624,640. This trade represents a 1.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Henry A. Fernandez purchased 800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $518.95 per share, for a total transaction of $415,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,493,847 shares in the company, valued at $775,231,900.65. This trade represents a 0.05% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 3.76% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSCI

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MSCI in the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of MSCI in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of MSCI by 341.7% in the 4th quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 53 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of MSCI in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of MSCI in the 4th quarter worth $34,000. 89.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting MSCI

Here are the key news stories impacting MSCI this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — adjusted EPS of $4.55 and revenue of $850.8M (≈+14% YoY); management cited strength in index and analytics recurring sales and margin expansion. MSCI Q1 earnings top consensus
• Positive Sentiment: Margin expansion and capital returns boosted sentiment — higher operating/EBITDA margins were highlighted and the company declared a $2.05 quarterly dividend alongside ongoing share repurchases. MSCI jumps after Q1 earnings beat
• Positive Sentiment: Several broker upgrades/target raises — Morgan Stanley raised its target to $727 (overweight), UBS raised to $720 (buy) and Wells Fargo lifted its target to $650; RBC reaffirmed outperform at $655 — reinforcing upside expectations. Morgan Stanley raise UBS raise Wells Fargo raise
• Neutral Sentiment: External review finds MSCI’s risk profile largely unchanged from its 2025 10‑K — no new material risk disclosures beyond the company’s existing focus. External review summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings‑call materials and full transcript are available for deeper read‑through (useful for assessing guidance, customer retention commentary and product momentum). Earnings call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: MSCI extended/delayed its review of Indonesia’s market reforms — the pause and potential index treatment changes have previously spooked investors and could create temporary index-flow volatility for affected EM/ASEAN allocations. MSCI extends Indonesia review

About MSCI

MSCI Inc is a global provider of investment decision support tools and services for the financial industry. The company is best known for its family of market indexes, which are widely used as benchmarks by asset managers and as the basis for exchange-traded funds and other passive products. In addition to index construction and licensing, MSCI offers portfolio analytics, risk models, factor and performance attribution tools, and a suite of data and technology solutions designed to support portfolio management and trading.

Beyond traditional indexing and risk analytics, MSCI has expanded into environmental, social and governance (ESG) research and ratings, offering data, scores and screening tools that help investors integrate sustainability considerations into investment processes.