The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Sells 4,407 Shares of MSCI Inc $MSCI

Key Points

• The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company reduced its MSCI stake by 10.3%, selling 4,407 shares during the first quarter and retaining 38,418 shares worth approximately $20.7 million. Institutional investors collectively own 89.97% of MSCI.
• MSCI reported quarterly revenue of $867 million, up 12.2% year over year, but earnings of $4.94 per share missed analysts’ $4.99 estimate. The stock recently traded at $573.83, with a market capitalization of $41.72 billion.
• MSCI declared a quarterly dividend of $2.05 per share, equivalent to an annualized $8.20 and a 1.4% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Buy” rating with an average price target of $709.50.

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company cut its holdings in shares of MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI - Free Report) by 10.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 38,418 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 4,407 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned about 0.05% of MSCI worth $20,708,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MSCI. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in MSCI by 341.7% during the fourth quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 53 shares of the technology company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of MSCI in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of MSCI in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MSCI during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of MSCI during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Institutional investors own 89.97% of the company's stock.

MSCI Stock Performance

MSCI stock opened at $573.83 on Friday. MSCI Inc has a 52 week low of $501.08 and a 52 week high of $644.77. The company has a market capitalization of $41.72 billion, a PE ratio of 31.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.24. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $596.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $576.61.

MSCI (NYSE:MSCI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The technology company reported $4.94 earnings per share 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 negative return on equity of 55.19% and a net margin of 40.74%.MSCI's revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.17 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that MSCI Inc will post 19.61 EPS for the current year.

MSCI Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Raymond James Financial lifted their target price on shares of MSCI from $730.00 to $760.00 and gave the stock a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $690.00 price objective on shares of MSCI in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. UBS Group set a $615.00 price objective on MSCI in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Evercore set a $722.00 target price on MSCI in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on MSCI from $700.00 to $742.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and eleven have issued a Buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $709.50.

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.

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