Franklin Resources Inc. Has $178.81 Million Stock Position in MSCI Inc $MSCI

Franklin Resources Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI) by 15.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 311,668 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 59,038 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 0.42% of MSCI worth $178,813,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC raised 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 valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the period. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in MSCI in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in MSCI in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in MSCI in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC acquired a new position in MSCI in the 2nd quarter worth about $36,000. 89.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSCI news, CFO Andrew C. Wiechmann sold 450 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $560.00, for a total value of $252,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 22,544 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,624,640. This trade represents a 1.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Alvise J. Munari sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $592.04, for a total value of $5,920,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 23,548 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,941,357.92. This represents a 29.81% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 3.76% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

MSCI Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:MSCI opened at $607.02 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $581.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $569.59. MSCI Inc has a twelve month low of $501.08 and a twelve month high of $644.68. The company has a market cap of $44.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.67, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.24.

MSCI (NYSE:MSCI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The technology company reported $4.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.38 by $0.17. MSCI had a negative return on equity of 65.48% and a net margin of 40.74%.The firm had revenue of $850.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $830.91 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.00 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that MSCI Inc will post 19.62 EPS for the current year.

MSCI Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. MSCI’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.83%.

Key Headlines Impacting MSCI

Here are the key news stories impacting MSCI this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MSCI confirmed early index-inclusion rules for large IPOs ahead of SpaceX’s planned listing, which could increase the odds that a high-profile company like SpaceX is added to MSCI benchmarks and drive more assets into MSCI-linked products. Article: MSCI confirms early index inclusion rules ahead of SpaceX IPO
• Positive Sentiment: Reports said SpaceX is set for early entry into MSCI indexes after its IPO, reinforcing the possibility of significant passive-fund inflows tied to MSCI’s benchmark methodology. Article: SpaceX set for early entry into MSCI indexes after IPO
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noted that no Indian stock is in the top 10 of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index for the first time in 26 years, reflecting a broader shift toward AI and chip stocks rather than a direct change to MSCI’s own earnings outlook. Article: BT explainer: Why no Indian stock in top 10 MSCI EM index
• Neutral Sentiment: Another article said India has fallen out of the MSCI EM top 10 as AI stocks and chipmakers from Taiwan and South Korea dominate, underscoring changing index composition but not a clear fundamental catalyst for MSCI shares. Article: Explained: How AI mania has thrown India Inc out of MSCI EM’s top 10
• Neutral Sentiment: A market commentary asked whether MSCI stock is underperforming the S&P 500, but also said analysts remain bullish, suggesting sentiment is mixed rather than negative. Article: Is MSCI Stock Underperforming the S&P 500?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on MSCI. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $655.00 target price on shares of MSCI in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group upped their target price on MSCI from $710.00 to $720.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $730.00 target price on shares of MSCI in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Bank of America assumed coverage on MSCI in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $700.00 price target for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on MSCI from $719.00 to $727.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and ten have issued a Buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $697.70.

MSCI 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.