Magellan Asset Management Ltd Lowers Stock Holdings in MSCI Inc $MSCI

Magellan Asset Management Ltd lowered its stake in MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI) by 12.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 279,153 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 38,427 shares during the period. MSCI makes up approximately 2.0% of Magellan Asset Management Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Magellan Asset Management Ltd owned about 0.38% of MSCI worth $150,466,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of MSCI. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of MSCI by 25.1% during the first quarter. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd now owns 425,863 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $229,544,000 after purchasing an additional 85,481 shares during the period. ABN Amro Investment Solutions increased its stake in MSCI by 14.9% in the 1st quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 3,346 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,804,000 after buying an additional 433 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in MSCI by 5.8% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 15,521 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $8,366,000 after buying an additional 857 shares during the period. Madison Asset Management LLC raised its position in MSCI by 15.8% during the 1st quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC now owns 64,269 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $34,642,000 after buying an additional 8,775 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MSCI in the 1st quarter worth $208,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.97% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSCI from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of MSCI from $700.00 to $742.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $655.00 price objective on shares of MSCI in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Bank of America lifted their price objective on MSCI from $715.00 to $730.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on MSCI in a research report on Friday, July 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $760.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and eleven have issued a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, MSCI currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $716.42.

MSCI Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MSCI opened at $560.31 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.00, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 1.24. MSCI Inc has a one year low of $501.08 and a one year high of $644.77. The company’s fifty day moving average is $597.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $577.04.

MSCI (NYSE:MSCI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The technology company reported $4.94 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.99 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $867.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $870.71 million. MSCI had a negative return on equity of 65.48% and a net margin of 40.74%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.17 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that MSCI Inc will post 19.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSCI Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. MSCI’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.83%.

Key Stories Impacting MSCI

Here are the key news stories impacting MSCI this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MSCI posted solid year-over-year growth in Q2, with revenue up 12.2% and adjusted EPS up 18.5%, while some coverage said it beat earnings and revenue estimates. MSCI Reports Financial Results for Second Quarter and Six Months 2026
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $2.05 per share, reinforcing cash-return strength for shareholders.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts still maintain generally bullish long-term price targets, with a recent JPMorgan raise to $742 and a median target around $710.
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider and institutional trading data was mixed, with CEO Henry Fernandez buying shares while some executives and large funds reduced exposure.
• Negative Sentiment: The main drag on the stock was the market’s reaction to MSCI missing some consensus estimates and, more importantly, lifting 2026 operating expense, EBITDA expense, interest expense, and depreciation guidance, which raises concerns about margin pressure. MSCI slides as stronger Q2 results are overshadowed by a higher 2026 expense outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Several market recaps described the post-earnings move as a sharp selloff, with investors punishing the stock despite respectable operating performance. Why MSCI Stock Is Plummeting Lower Today

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MSCI news, insider Alvise J. Munari sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $592.04, for a total value of $5,920,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 23,548 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,941,357.92. This trade represents a 29.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 3.76% of the company’s stock.

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.