MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI) Short Interest Update

MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 1,305,533 shares, a decrease of 14.3% from the February 12th total of 1,523,454 shares. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 698,824 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.9 days. Based on an average daily volume of 698,824 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.9 days. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

MSCI Stock Up 2.0%

NYSE:MSCI traded up $11.02 on Tuesday, reaching $561.02. 402,761 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 649,812. The business has a fifty day moving average of $567.54 and a 200-day moving average of $564.57. MSCI has a 52-week low of $486.73 and a 52-week high of $626.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.29.

MSCI (NYSE:MSCI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The technology company reported $4.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.62 by $0.04. MSCI had a net margin of 38.36% and a negative return on equity of 82.59%. The firm had revenue of $822.53 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $819.51 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.18 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that MSCI will post 16.86 earnings per share for the current year.

MSCI Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. This is an increase from MSCI’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.80. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. MSCI’s payout ratio is presently 52.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Henry A. Fernandez acquired 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $518.95 per share, with a total value of $415,160.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,493,847 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $775,231,900.65. This trade represents a 0.05% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 3.31% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MSCI. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new position in MSCI during the third quarter worth $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSCI during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of MSCI during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of MSCI during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. 89.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on MSCI. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of MSCI in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $655.00 price target on shares of MSCI in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $715.00 price objective on shares of MSCI in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Bank of America assumed coverage on MSCI in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $700.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on MSCI from $590.00 to $618.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $674.00.

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.