MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI) Stock Has Average Price Target of $683.69 According to Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: MSCI has a “Moderate Buy” consensus from 16 analysts, with an average 12-month price target of $683.69.
• Quarterly results topped expectations: MSCI reported EPS of $5.11 versus $5.03 expected and revenue of $892 million, up 12.4% year over year.
• MSCI declared a quarterly dividend of $2.05 per share, equivalent to $8.20 annually and a 1.2% yield.

Shares of MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the sixteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $683.69.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $655.00 target price on shares of MSCI in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Barclays increased their price target on MSCI from $735.00 to $760.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, November 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $684.00 price objective (down from $704.00) on shares of MSCI in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $680.00 price objective on shares of MSCI in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on MSCI from $662.00 to $671.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 21st.

MSCI Trading Up 1.6%

MSCI opened at $656.62 on Wednesday. MSCI has a twelve month low of $501.08 and a twelve month high of $681.04. The firm has a market cap of $46.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.76, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $578.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $575.59.

MSCI (NYSE:MSCI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 20th. The technology company reported $5.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $5.03 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $892.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $887.83 million. MSCI had a net margin of 40.31% and a negative return on equity of 50.69%. The firm's revenue was up 12.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.47 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that MSCI will post 19.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSCI Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 13th will be given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 13th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. MSCI's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.41%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MSCI news, General Counsel Robert J. Gutowski sold 2,381 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $623.66, for a total transaction of $1,484,934.46. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 14,104 shares in the company, valued at $8,796,100.64. This represents a 14.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Andrew C. Wiechmann sold 450 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, October 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $570.00, for a total transaction of $256,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 21,644 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,337,080. This represents a 2.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 3.76% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MSCI

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Private Advisor Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of MSCI in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $383,000. Ieq Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of MSCI by 40.1% in the 3rd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 31,828 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $17,144,000 after acquiring an additional 9,111 shares during the last quarter. Focus Advisor Solutions LLC raised its position in shares of MSCI by 162.5% during the 3rd quarter. Focus Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 5,009 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $2,698,000 after acquiring an additional 3,101 shares in the last quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC raised its position in shares of MSCI by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 867 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $467,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Finally, OneAscent Financial Services LLC bought a new position in MSCI during the third quarter worth $272,000. Institutional investors own 89.97% of the company's stock.

MSCI Company Profile

MSCI Inc. is a global provider of investment decision-support tools and services for asset managers, banks, insurers, pension funds and other financial institutions. Its offerings include indexes used to benchmark and develop investment products, as well as portfolio risk, performance and attribution analytics. The company also provides environmental, social and governance data and research, climate-related tools, and analytics covering private assets and real estate. These products help clients assess investments, manage portfolios and evaluate risks across public and private markets.

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