MSCI Inc. (NYSE:MSCI) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

MSCI Inc. (NYSE:MSCI) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $649.85.

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Evercore ISI started coverage on shares of MSCI in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $690.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $638.00 price target on shares of MSCI in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on MSCI from $680.00 to $700.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of MSCI from $662.00 to $695.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of MSCI from $695.00 to $680.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th.

MSCI Stock Down 5.4 %

Shares of NYSE:MSCI opened at $594.33 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $46.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.11. The company’s fifty day moving average is $606.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $581.42. MSCI has a 12-month low of $439.95 and a 12-month high of $642.45.

MSCI (NYSE:MSCI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $4.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.96 by $0.22. MSCI had a negative return on equity of 162.06% and a net margin of 43.06%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.68 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that MSCI will post 14.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSCI

In other MSCI news, CEO Henry A. Fernandez acquired 2,900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $612.80 per share, with a total value of $1,777,120.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 330,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $202,456,251.20. This trade represents a 0.89 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 3.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of MSCI

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSCI. Avestar Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of MSCI by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 413 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $248,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Fiera Capital Corp raised its stake in MSCI by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 1,148,615 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $689,180,000 after purchasing an additional 49,679 shares during the last quarter. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc boosted its holdings in MSCI by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc now owns 21,563 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $12,938,000 after purchasing an additional 598 shares during the period. Capital Advisors Inc. OK acquired a new stake in MSCI in the 4th quarter worth $269,000. Finally, Focus Financial Network Inc. bought a new position in shares of MSCI during the 4th quarter worth about $254,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.97% of the company’s stock.

MSCI Company Profile

MSCI Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides critical decision support tools and solutions for the investment community to manage investment processes worldwide. The Index segment provides indexes for use in various areas of the investment process, including indexed financial product, such as ETFs, mutual funds, annuities, futures, options, structured products, and over-the-counter derivatives; performance benchmarking; portfolio construction and rebalancing; and asset allocation, as well as licenses GICS and GICS Direct.