Atria Investments Inc Sells 2,255 Shares of MSCI Inc $MSCI

Key Points

• Atria Investments Inc reduced its MSCI stake by 17% in the fourth quarter, selling 2,255 shares and ending with 10,971 shares valued at about $6.3 million.
• Wall Street remains broadly bullish on MSCI, with several analysts reiterating or raising price targets; the stock currently carries a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target of $692.70.
• MSCI reported strong quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, and also announced a quarterly dividend of $2.05 per share payable May 29, reflecting an annualized yield of about 1.5%.

Atria Investments Inc cut its holdings in shares of MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI - Free Report) by 17.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 10,971 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 2,255 shares during the quarter. Atria Investments Inc's holdings in MSCI were worth $6,295,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in MSCI during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in MSCI by 341.7% during the 4th quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 53 shares of the technology company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new stake in MSCI during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC bought a new stake in MSCI during the 2nd quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in MSCI during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. 89.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on MSCI shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $655.00 price target on shares of MSCI in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of MSCI from $710.00 to $720.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of MSCI from $719.00 to $727.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a "strong-buy" rating and set a $730.00 price target on shares of MSCI in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $715.00 target price on shares of MSCI in a report on Thursday, January 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSCI presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $692.70.

MSCI Stock Performance

Shares of MSCI stock opened at $562.01 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average is $561.84 and its 200-day moving average is $565.79. The stock has a market cap of $40.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.10, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.24. MSCI Inc has a 52-week low of $501.08 and a 52-week high of $626.28.

MSCI (NYSE:MSCI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The technology company reported $4.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.38 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $850.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $830.91 million. MSCI had a net margin of 40.74% and a negative return on equity of 65.48%. MSCI's quarterly revenue was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.00 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that MSCI Inc will post 19.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSCI Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. MSCI's dividend payout ratio is presently 46.83%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Andrew C. Wiechmann sold 450 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,624,640. This represents a 1.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Henry A. Fernandez purchased 800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was bought at an average cost 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 approximately $775,231,900.65. This trade represents a 0.05% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 3.76% of the stock is owned by insiders.

MSCI News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting MSCI this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MSCI’s May index review added several Indian names, including Federal Bank, Indian Bank, MCX, and Nalco, to the Global Standard Index, a change that could drive passive inflows into those stocks. Federal Bank, Indian Bank, MCX & Nalco in MSCI Global
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts turned more bullish on MSCI after earnings, suggesting the company’s recent results and index franchise remain strong. Multiple Analysts Turn Bullish On MSCI Inc (MSCI) Post Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Asian markets rose broadly, with the MSCI Asia Pacific Index on track for a sixth straight weekly gain, reflecting strong risk appetite across global equities. Global Market Today: Asian stocks rise after AI rally spurs US gauges
• Negative Sentiment: MSCI also removed six companies from its Indonesia-related index review, which weighed on Indonesian shares and highlighted the downside risk for companies excluded from its benchmarks. Indonesian stocks slide after MSCI culls six companies from its index

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.