MSCI (NYSE:MSCI) Hits New 52-Week High on Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Shares of MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $619.24 and last traded at $615.26, with a volume of 552538 shares. The stock had previously closed at $581.75.

The technology company reported $4.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.62 by $0.04. MSCI had a negative return on equity of 110.94% and a net margin of 40.03%.The company had revenue of $822.53 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $819.51 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.18 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

MSCI Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This is a boost from MSCI’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.80. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. MSCI’s dividend payout ratio is 45.63%.

MSCI declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, October 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase $3.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the technology company to buy up to 7.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Key MSCI News

Here are the key news stories impacting MSCI this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat and durable growth: MSCI reported Q4 EPS of $4.66 (vs. ~$4.62 consensus) and revenue of $822.5M, up ~10.6% year-over-year — subscription-led strength and 93% client retention underpin recurring revenue. Businesswire: Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike: MSCI raised its quarterly dividend to $2.05 (a ~13.9% increase), reinforcing capital return and appealing to income-oriented holders (annualized yield ~1.3%).
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call detail & modeling nuance: Management highlighted strong underlying growth but noted cash/headwind items and higher planned operating expenses for 2026 — leaves room for analyst-model adjustments. TipRanks: Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst backdrop: Street sentiment remains constructive (multiple buy/overweight ratings and mid-to-high price targets), which can support upside but also compress volatility into guidance-driven moves. QuiverQuant: Analyst Notes & Targets
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and expense pressure: Coverage noted “soft” 2026 guidance and higher full-year expenses that could weigh on forward margins and valuation multiple. MSN: Soft Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Index action controversy — Indonesia: MSCI froze/rebalanced Indonesia-related index changes citing investability/free-float concerns, triggering a market drop in Indonesia and prompting government pushback; that creates reputational and operational scrutiny in the region. Reuters: Indonesia Response
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term market reaction: Some reports noted shares initially slid after the release despite margin expansion, reflecting investor sensitivity to guidance and expense commentary. Zacks: Market Reaction

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of MSCI from $650.00 to $660.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. UBS Group set a $638.00 price target on shares of MSCI in a report on Wednesday. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of MSCI from $588.00 to $611.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on MSCI from $655.00 to $680.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners raised shares of MSCI to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $641.13.

Insider Activity at MSCI

In other MSCI news, General Counsel Robert J. Gutowski sold 624 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $558.42, for a total transaction of $348,454.08. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel directly owned 15,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,904,006.90. This represents a 3.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Henry A. Fernandez purchased 2,290 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 5th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $536.17 per share, for a total transaction of $1,227,829.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 335,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $179,653,945.73. This trade represents a 0.69% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 3.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSCI

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new stake in MSCI in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in MSCI during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of MSCI by 341.7% in the fourth 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 period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSCI during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC bought a new stake in MSCI during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 89.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MSCI Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $46.18 billion, a PE ratio of 38.95, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.30. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $571.34 and a 200 day moving average of $565.62.

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.