MSCI Inc $MSCI Position Decreased by Aberdeen Group plc

Aberdeen Group plc lowered its holdings in MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI) by 2.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 66,076 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 1,335 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned about 0.09% of MSCI worth $37,910,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MSCI. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of MSCI during the third quarter worth $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in MSCI in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in MSCI in the 2nd quarter worth about $36,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in MSCI during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in MSCI by 100.0% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 68 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. 89.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MSCI Price Performance

NYSE:MSCI opened at $543.78 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $39.95 billion, a PE ratio of 34.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.30. MSCI Inc has a fifty-two week low of $486.73 and a fifty-two week high of $626.28. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $555.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $562.28.

MSCI (NYSE:MSCI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The technology company reported $4.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.62 by $0.04. MSCI had a net margin of 38.36% and a negative return on equity of 82.59%. The business had revenue of $822.53 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $819.51 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.18 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that MSCI Inc will post 16.86 earnings per share for the current year.

MSCI Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This is a positive change from MSCI’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.80. MSCI’s payout ratio is currently 52.26%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on MSCI shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $715.00 target price on shares of MSCI in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Evercore upped their price target on shares of MSCI from $655.00 to $690.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of MSCI from $618.00 to $545.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of MSCI in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised shares of MSCI from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $710.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $665.89.

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.