MSCI Inc $MSCI Stock Holdings Lessened by Bank of America Corp DE

Key Points

• Bank of America reduced its MSCI stake by 10.3% in the first quarter, selling 42,256 shares and retaining 369,560 shares valued at approximately $199.2 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 89.97% of MSCI.
• MSCI’s latest quarterly results slightly missed expectations, with EPS of $4.94 versus the $4.99 consensus and revenue of $867 million versus estimates of $870.71 million. Revenue nevertheless increased 12.2% year over year.
• MSCI declared a quarterly dividend of $2.05 per share, equivalent to $8.20 annually and a 1.4% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Buy” rating with an average price target of $709.50, compared with the reported share price of $572.03.

Bank of America Corp DE lessened its stake in shares of MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI - Free Report) by 10.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 369,560 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 42,256 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE owned about 0.51% of MSCI worth $199,197,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC increased its position 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 in the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in MSCI during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in MSCI in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in MSCI during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in MSCI during the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. 89.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MSCI Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of MSCI opened at $572.03 on Wednesday. The company's fifty day moving average is $595.37 and its 200-day moving average is $576.29. MSCI Inc has a 12 month low of $501.08 and a 12 month high of $644.77. The firm has a market cap of $41.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 1.23.

MSCI (NYSE:MSCI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The technology company reported $4.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.99 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $867.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $870.71 million. MSCI had a net margin of 40.74% and a negative return on equity of 55.19%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.17 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that MSCI Inc will post 19.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSCI Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. MSCI's dividend payout ratio is 44.86%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on MSCI. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $655.00 price target on shares of MSCI in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of MSCI in a research report on Friday, July 17th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $760.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings cut shares of MSCI from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Raymond James Financial upped their price target on shares of MSCI from $730.00 to $760.00 and gave the stock a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $700.00 price objective on shares of MSCI in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and eleven have given a Buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $709.50.

MSCI Company Profile

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.

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