NYSE: MSCI · Financial Exchanges & Data
MSCI
MSCI, based in New York, provides research-based indexes, analytics, sustainability and climate data, and private-asset data that set standards for global investors. Its largest business is Index ($1,787 million of 2025 operating revenues), which licenses equity indexes and earns asset-based fees from ETFs; Analytics ($714 million) offers risk and portfolio tools; Sustainability and Climate ($354 million) provides ESG ratings and climate data; and All Other – Private Assets ($279 million) includes real assets and Burgiss private capital data. 2025 operating revenues were $3,134 million and net income $1,202 million, with an operating margin of about 55%. BlackRock alone accounted for 10.8% of revenue. MSCI has negative equity because of heavy buybacks; it authorized a new $3.0 billion repurchase program in October 2025.
Last updated
Analysis last edited: October 30, 2026 · Financial data fetched: October 30, 2026 12:58 (SEC EDGAR) · Source 10-K filed: February 6, 2026
Built on10-K FY2025 · filed 2026-02-0610-Q (quarter ended 2026-09-30) · filed 2026-10-20Proxy statement (2026)
Next update expectedAfter FY2026’s 10-K is filed (roughly 60–90 days after fiscal year end (sooner for larger filers)), financials and analysis will be refreshed.
01
At a glanceFrom SEC data
Eight headline measures, each placed among the companies covered on this site.
- Revenue growthCAGRSmooths out year-to-year swings into "grew X% a year on average." Makes growth pace comparable across companies of very different sizes.
- 13.1%
- Operating marginOperating marginHow many cents of operating profit are left per dollar of revenue. Reflects pricing power and cost structure.
- 54.7%
- ROIC minus WACCROIC − WACC spreadThe difference between ROIC and WACC. Consistently positive implies value creation; consistently negative implies value destruction.
- +30.6 pts
- Net debt ÷ EBITDAEBITDAOperating income with D&A added back. A rough proxy for cash-generating power that’s less distorted by capital intensity, depreciation method, or financing/tax differences than net income.
- 3.3x
- Cash conversionOperating CF ÷ net income (cash conversion)How much of reported profit shows up as actual cash. 1x or higher means profit is backed by cash.
- 1.32x
- Dividend raisesDividend per shareTotal annual dividend paid per share (sum of all declared payments for the year).
- 5 of 5
- P/E todayP/EShare price ÷ EPS — how many years of current earnings the stock price represents. This site uses the period-end figure as reported in the filing.
- 35.3x
- Betaβ (beta)How much a stock moves, on average, for a 1% move in the overall market. Above 1 means more volatile than the market, which raises the return shareholders require. This site computes it from about 2.5 years (roughly 130 weeks) of weekly returns, built from Yahoo Finance daily prices, regressed against an S&P 500 ETF (SPY) as the market proxy, then applies the well-known long-run mean-reversion adjustment (0.67 × β + 0.33) as the WACC default.
- 0.87
Higher than 74% of 372 non-financial companies
Average yearly growth over the years shown
Higher than 97% of 311 non-financial companies
Latest fiscal year (FY2025)
Higher than 94% of 311 non-financial companies
Return on capital above (or below) its estimated cost
Higher than 76% of 304 non-financial companies
Below 0 means more cash than debt
Higher than 36% of 349 non-financial companies
Operating cash flow ÷ net income
Years the dividend per share rose, of the last 5
Latest close 2026-11-04; trailing 12 months to 2026-09-30
Above 1 = moves more than the market
Each marker shows where this company sits among the non-financial companies covered on this site, not all listed companies (left = lowest, right = highest). A high position is not automatically good — for net debt ÷ EBITDA, higher means more debt. Details and formulas are in the sections below and in How to read this.
02
Valuation todayFrom SEC data
Price-based measures at the latest close, next to the same measures at the last fiscal year-end.
Share price$663.11close on 2026-11-04
Market cap$48.78B
- P/EP/EShare price ÷ EPS — how many years of current earnings the stock price represents. This site uses the period-end figure as reported in the filing. today
- 35.3x
- P/BP/BShare price ÷ book value per share. Below 1x means the market values the company below its accounting net worth. This site uses the closing price nearest the fiscal year-end and highlights sub-1x readings. today
- —
- EV/EBITDAEV/EBITDAEnterprise value (≈ market cap + interest-bearing debt − cash) as a multiple of EBITDA — roughly, "how many years of EBITDA to buy the whole company." Lower is generally viewed as cheaper, and it’s more comparable than P/E across companies with different debt loads or depreciation policies. This site excludes noncontrolling interests from the EV calculation. today
- 31.4x
- FCF yieldFree cash flow (FCF)Operating CF minus capital expenditures — cash generated by the business after funding its own investment, available for dividends, buybacks, acquisitions, or debt paydown. Acquisitions and securities purchases (also in investing CF) are not subtracted, so FCF can be positive in a year when total investing CF exceeds operating CF. today
- 3.2%
- Dividend yieldDividend per shareTotal annual dividend paid per share (sum of all declared payments for the year). today
- 1.1%
At FY2025 year-end: 36.6x
Earnings: trailing 12 months to 2026-09-30
At FY2025 year-end: —
Book value at FY2025 year-end
At FY2025 year-end: 27.6x
EBITDA for FY2025
At FY2025 year-end: 3.7%
Free cash flow for FY2025
Dividends per share for FY2025
“Today” uses the latest closing price (2026-11-04, Yahoo Finance daily closing prices) and shares outstanding at the last fiscal year-end. The rest of this page — including the financial table and ROIC vs. WACC — uses fiscal year-end prices. These are reference figures, not a judgment of whether the stock is cheap or expensive.
03
What changed since last earningsFrom SEC data
The latest reported quarter against the same quarter a year earlier, the balance sheet against the previous quarter-end, and what management said in its latest earnings release.
Quarter ended Sep 30, 2026.
- Revenue$793M → $892M (vs. a year earlier)↑ +12.4%$793M → $892M (vs. a year earlier)
- Operating margin56.4% → 56.3% (vs. a year earlier)→ −0.1 pts56.4% → 56.3% (vs. a year earlier)
- Net income$325M → $351M (vs. a year earlier)↑ +7.9%$325M → $351M (vs. a year earlier)
- Diluted EPS$4.25 → $4.86 (vs. a year earlier)↑ +14.4%$4.25 → $4.86 (vs. a year earlier)
- Cash$356M → $261M (vs. previous quarter-end)↓ −26.8%$356M → $261M (vs. previous quarter-end)
- Long-term debt$6.38B → $6.72B (vs. previous quarter-end)↑ +5.3%$6.38B → $6.72B (vs. previous quarter-end)
Source: Form 10-Q ↗ (SEC XBRL). Long-term debt is the tagged long-term debt figure and leaves out short-term borrowings.
From the earnings release of Oct 20, 2026.
Key changes
Repurchased $627.2M of stock in Q3 and through October 19. Source sentence
In third quarter 2026 and through October 19, 2026, a total of $627.2 million or 1,116,460 shares were repurchased at an average repurchase price of $561.81
Adjusted EBITDA expenses $337.2M, up 12.8%. Source sentence
Adjusted EBITDA expenses were $337.2 million, up 12.8%, primarily reflecting higher non-compensation costs as a result of higher information technology costs, professional fees and market data costs.
Written by AI. A line appears only if its figures and direction match the quoted sentence, which an automatic check confirms. Companies' outlooks are their own and may not be met. Read the release ↗
04
Company profileFrom SEC dataShow
- Legal name
- MSCI Inc.
- Headquarters
- NEW YORK, NY
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- Fiscal year end
- 12/31
- Exchange & ticker
- NYSE: MSCI
- Industry
- Financial Exchanges & Data
- CIK
- 1408198
- Website
- https://www.msci.com/ ↗
- IR page
- https://ir.msci.com/ ↗
Workforce (as of FY2025 year-end)
Employees
6,268
Source: Form 10-K (FY2025) cover page and business description
05
Earnings calendarFrom SEC dataShow
When the company reports each quarter: the quarter-end date, the day results were released, and when the 10-Q or 10-K was filed.
Next report
Q4 FY2026
Quarter end: December 2026. In past years, Q4 results were released 28–30 days after quarter end (Jan 28, 2026; Jan 29, 2025; Jan 30, 2024). No date has been announced in the sources this site uses.
Reporting pattern
- Fiscal year ends around December 31.
- Reports four times a year: three quarterly reports (10-Q) and an annual report (10-K) for Q4.
- Earnings releases came 20–30 days after quarter end over the last 12 quarters.
| Quarter | Quarter ended | Earnings release (8-K) | Report filed (10-Q / 10-K) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 FY2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | Oct 20, 2026 (+20 days) | Oct 20, 2026 10-Q (+20 days) |
| Q2 FY2026 | Jun 30, 2026 | Jul 21, 2026 (+21 days) | Jul 21, 2026 10-Q (+21 days) |
| Q1 FY2026 | Mar 31, 2026 | Apr 21, 2026 (+21 days) | Apr 21, 2026 10-Q (+21 days) |
| Q4 FY2025 | Dec 31, 2025 | Jan 28, 2026 (+28 days) | Feb 6, 2026 10-K (+37 days) |
| Q3 FY2025 | Sep 30, 2025 | Oct 28, 2025 (+28 days) | Oct 28, 2025 10-Q (+28 days) |
| Q2 FY2025 | Jun 30, 2025 | Jul 22, 2025 (+22 days) | Jul 22, 2025 10-Q (+22 days) |
| Q1 FY2025 | Mar 31, 2025 | Apr 22, 2025 (+22 days) | Apr 22, 2025 10-Q (+22 days) |
| Q4 FY2024 | Dec 31, 2024 | Jan 29, 2025 (+29 days) | Feb 7, 2025 10-K (+38 days) |
| Q3 FY2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Oct 29, 2024 (+29 days) | Oct 31, 2024 10-Q (+31 days) |
| Q2 FY2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Jul 23, 2024 (+23 days) | Jul 23, 2024 10-Q (+23 days) |
| Q1 FY2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Apr 23, 2024 (+23 days) | Apr 23, 2024 10-Q (+23 days) |
| Q4 FY2023 | Dec 31, 2023 | Jan 30, 2024 (+30 days) | Feb 9, 2024 10-K (+40 days) |
Source: SEC EDGAR filing history. Release dates are the dates the earnings release was furnished to the SEC on Form 8-K (Item 2.02), which is normally the day results are announced. For a quarter whose 10-Q or 10-K isn’t filed yet, the date is the latest Item 2.02 8-K since the previous report, which may be a preliminary or other results-related update. Fiscal years are labeled by the calendar year in which they end.
06
Flagship products & servicesSite analysis
Index
Equity indexes
Market cap-weighted, factor, ESG and custom indexes licensed for benchmarks, ETFs and derivatives.
Analytics
Risk and portfolio analytics
Factor models, risk management and performance attribution tools.
Sustainability and Climate
ESG and climate data
ESG ratings, climate metrics and research.
All Other – Private Assets
Real assets and private capital data
Real estate indexes and Burgiss private capital data.
From the Form 10-K, FY2025.
U.S. and worldwide share of flagship products/services
MSCI does not state market share percentages in its 10-K.
Reviewed: Form 10-K (FY2025) · Form 10-Q (quarter ended 2026-09-30)
07
Recent strategic focusSite analysis
Recent developments.
BlackRock license extension
January 27, 2026 amendment extends the ETF license to March 31, 2035 with auto-renewal.
Source: Form 8-K (2026-01-28) — Item 1.01 (BlackRock ETF license amendment)
Leadership transition
President and COO C.D. Baer Pettit retired (COO role ended November 12, 2025; President and Board roles March 1, 2026).
Source: Form 8-K (2025-11-17) — Item 5.02
Buyback
New $3.0B repurchase program authorized October 25, 2025.
Source: Form 10-K (FY2025)
Capex ÷ D&A (FY2025)
1.68x
Well above depreciation — expansion-stage investment
formulacapital expenditures ÷ depreciation & amortization
e.g.$39M ÷ $23M = 1.68x
termsCapital expenditures (capex) · Depreciation & amortization (D&A)
R&D-to-revenue ratio (FY2025)
5.7%
formularesearch & development expense ÷ revenue × 100
e.g.$178M ÷ $3,134M × 100 = 5.7%
M&A spend (6-year total)
$1.7B
Latest year: $0
Cash-flow-statement spending on acquisitions, net of cash acquired
Where the money goes, over time
Unit: $M. Capex went from $22M in FY2020 to $39M in FY2025
- Capex
- R&D
- M&A spend
formulacapital expenditures ÷ depreciation & amortization
termsCapital expenditures (capex) · Depreciation & amortization (D&A)
Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-06
08
Key figures at a glanceFrom SEC data
FY2020–FY2025, 6 years.
Revenue (FY2025)
$3.13B
As reported in the 10-K
Revenue CAGR (5 years)
+13.1%▲favorable
formula(last-period revenue ÷ first-period revenue) ^ (1 ÷ years) − 1
e.g.($3,134M ÷ $1,695M) ^ (1÷5) − 1 = 13.1%
termsCAGR · ^ (exponent) · Revenue (net sales)
Operating margin (FY2025)
54.7%▲favorable
+2.5pt vs. 5 years ago
formulaoperating income ÷ revenue × 100
e.g.$1,714M ÷ $3,134M × 100 = 54.7%
ROE (FY2025)
—▼caution
6-year average: —
As reported in the 10-K
P/B (FY2025 end)
—
Period-end (fiscal year-end) value, not today's P/B
EV/EBITDA (FY2025 end)
27.6x
formula(market cap + interest-bearing debt − cash and equivalents) ÷ (operating income + depreciation & amortization)
e.g.($42,205M + $6,202M − $515M) ÷ ($1,714M + $23M) = 27.6x
termsEV/EBITDA · Market capitalization · Interest-bearing debt · EBITDA · Depreciation & amortization (D&A)
Period-end (fiscal year-end) value, not today's multiple
- ▲
Revenue grew +13.1% a year over 5 years (strong growth)
From $1.7B in FY2020 to $3.13B in FY2025. The annualized rate (CAGR) makes it possible to compare growth pace across companies of different sizes.
- ▲
Operating margin improved: 52.2% → 54.7%
How much operating profit is left per $100 of revenue. It moved +2.5 points over 5 years — pricing power, cost control, and product mix all show up here.
- ▼
Equity ratio is -46.6% (relatively heavy reliance on debt)
The share of total assets funded by equity rather than debt. 50%+ is often read as low bankruptcy risk, though the right level varies by industry (real estate and leasing run lower, for instance).
- ▲
Free cash flow was positive in 6 of 6 years
Operating cash flow minus capital expenditures: the cash left over after funding the business’s own investment, available for dividends, buybacks, acquisitions, or debt paydown. A negative year can mean heavy investment, or weak core earnings — worth distinguishing.
09
Business modelSite analysis
Business Model Canvas
The whole company in nine blocks. Left side: how it delivers (partners, activities, resources, costs). Right side: who it serves and how it earns. Every entry comes from the company’s filings shown on this page.
08 · who helps
Key partners
- BlackRock
- Burgiss
07 · what it does
Key activities
- Index: equity indexes and asset-based fees
- Analytics: risk and portfolio management tools
- Sustainability and Climate: ESG and climate data and ratings
- Private Assets: real estate and private capital data
06 · what it draws on
Key resources
- 6,268 employees (51% in Asia Pacific)
- Index methodologies, data and research
- Technology platforms and capitalized software
02 · why customers buy
Value propositions
- Indexes, analytics and data, with differentiated research.
04 · how it keeps them
Customer relationships
- Mostly annual, recurring subscriptions; asset-based fees from products tracking its indexes.
03 · how it reaches them
Channels
- Direct sales to asset managers, asset owners, banks and ETF sponsors.
01 · who it serves
Customer segments
- Asset managers and asset owners
- Banks, broker-dealers, hedge funds and wealth managers
- ETF sponsors such as BlackRock
09 · where money goes
Cost structure
FY2025, share of revenue ($3.13B)
- Cost of revenue17.6%
- Research & development5.7%
- Selling, general & administrative5.7%
- Other operating costs16.4%
Operating profit left: 54.7% of revenue. Depreciation & amortization (inside the costs above): $23M. Capital spending: $39M.
Source: Form 10-K income statement and cash-flow statement (SEC XBRL).
05 · how money comes in
Revenue streams
- Index $1,787M (2025)
- Analytics $714M
- Sustainability and Climate $354M
- All Other – Private Assets $279M
Value propositions, channels and customer relationships: Form 10-K (FY2025)
Sells recurring subscriptions to indexes, analytics and data, and earns asset-based fees when ETFs and other products track its indexes.
01 what it draws on
Inputs & resources
- 6,268 employees (51% in Asia Pacific)
- Index methodologies, data and research
- Technology platforms and capitalized software
02 what it does
Activities
- Index: equity indexes and asset-based fees
- Analytics: risk and portfolio management tools
- Sustainability and Climate: ESG and climate data and ratings
- Private Assets: real estate and private capital data
03 who it serves
Customers
- Asset managers and asset owners
- Banks, broker-dealers, hedge funds and wealth managers
- ETF sponsors such as BlackRock
04 how money comes in
How it earns
- Index $1,787M (2025)
- Analytics $714M
- Sustainability and Climate $354M
- All Other – Private Assets $279M
How the business makes money
- BlackRock accounted for 10.8% of 2025 operating revenues, 96.5% of it asset-based fees.
- U.S. revenues $1,267M; U.K. $543M; Japan $128M in 2025.
- Stockholders’ deficit of $2.7B at end-2025 due to buybacks.
Government & regulation around the business
Non-market factors from the company’s filings: what governments and regulators fund, buy, set, approve or restrict, and which part of the flow above each one touches.
MSCI is mainly exposed to regulation through security and data rules.
Approvals & licenses
Security and data rules
Security incidents could damage its brand and bring regulatory consequences.
Constrains the businessTouches: ActivitiesSource: Form 10-K (FY2025)
Revenue by segment (FY2025)
Unit: $M — bar length = revenue, (%) = share of total company revenue
Index
1,787 (57%)Analytics
714 (23%)Sustainability and Climate
354 (11%)All Other – Private Assets
279 (9%)
Source: Form 10-K (FY2025) Segment operating revenues; total $3,134M.
10
Where it earnsSite analysis
Many U.S.-listed companies earn most of their revenue outside the U.S. — this breaks down revenue by country/region so it's clear where the business actually makes its money.
Largest market (FY2025)
Americas — 45% of revenue
Revenue by country / region (FY2025)
Unit: $M — bar length = revenue, (%) = share of total company revenue
Americas
1,408 (45%)EMEA
1,242 (40%)Asia & Australia
484 (15%)
Source: Form 10-K (FY2025) Operating revenues by region.
11
Contract structureSite analysisShow
Short-term or spot sales carry different earnings quality than long-term or auto-renewing contracts — this shows how the company actually contracts with its customers.
12
Alliances & capital tiesSite analysisShow
Equity stakes, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships disclosed across the 10-K, 8-Ks, and proxy statement.
Licensing agreement
BlackRock
ETF index license with BlackRock Fund Advisors extended to March 31, 2035, with AUM-based fees.
Source: Form 8-K (2026-01-28) — Item 1.01 (BlackRock ETF license amendment)
Pending or recent acquisition
Burgiss
Acquired the remaining interest in Burgiss for $696.8M in cash (2023).
Source: Form 10-K (FY2025)
13
Customers & suppliersSite analysis
Who the company sells to and buys from. Companies rarely name either, so named counterparties come only from the company's own filings and press releases; otherwise this lists the concentration figures the 10-K discloses.
Customers
Asset managers, asset owners, banks, hedge funds and ETF sponsors.
Named by the company
- BlackRock — 10.8% of 2025 operating revenues.Form 10-K (FY2025)
Suppliers
Data and technology vendors.
Named by the company
No material supplier is named.
14
Competitors & peersSite analysis
Competitors the 10-K names, and the peer group the company itself chose in its proxy statement. Nothing here is this site's own pick.
MSCI names competitors for each business in its 10-K.
Competitors named in the 10-K
Peer group the company chose
Compensation peer group, from the proxy statement. Peers are companies the board considers comparable — for example when setting executive pay — not necessarily direct competitors.
Fiscal 2025 peer group from the 2026 proxy statement.
- Cboe Global Marketssite ↗
- CME Groupsite ↗
- CoStar Groupsite ↗
- Dun & Bradstreetsite ↗
- Equifaxsite ↗
- FactSetsite ↗
- Fair Isaacsite ↗
- Gartnersite ↗
- Intercontinental Exchangesite ↗
- MarketAxesssite ↗
- Moody's Corporationsite ↗
- Morningstarsite ↗
- Nasdaqsite ↗
- SEI Investmentssite ↗
- S&P Globalsite ↗
- SS&C Technologiessite ↗
- TransUnionsite ↗
Company names link to this site’s analysis where one exists; “site ↗” opens the company’s own website.
15
Six years of financialsFrom SEC data
Each chart's axis holds a single unit (never mixing dollars, %, and $/share). The table's per-period header links to the filing the numbers came from.
Revenue over time
Unit: $M
Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-06
Profit over time (operating → net)
Unit: $M
- Operating income
- Pretax income
- Net income
Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-06
Margins over time
Unit: %
- Operating margin
- Net margin
formulaoperating income ÷ revenue × 100
formulanet income attributable to the company ÷ revenue × 100
Cash flow over time
Unit: $M (below zero = cash went out)
- Operating CF
- Investing CF
- Free CF
formulacash flow from operations − capital expenditures
termsFree cash flow (FCF) · Cash flow from operations (operating CF) · Capital expenditures (capex)
Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-06
Financial stability & capital efficiency
Unit: %
- Equity ratio
formulatotal equity ÷ total assets × 100 (as reported in the 10-K)
termsStockholders’ equity · Total assets
formulanet income ÷ average equity (beginning + ending, ÷2) × 100 (as reported in the 10-K)
termsNet income (attributable to the company) · Stockholders’ equity
Earnings per share (EPS) and dividend per share
Unit: $
- EPS
- Dividend per share
Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-06
| Line item | FY202010-K on EDGAR ↗ | FY202110-K on EDGAR ↗ | FY202210-K on EDGAR ↗ | FY202310-K on EDGAR ↗ | FY202410-K on EDGAR ↗ | FY202510-K on EDGAR ↗ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income statement ($M) | ||||||
| Revenue | 1,695 | 2,044 | 2,249 | 2,529 | 2,856 | 3,134 |
| Operating income | 885 | 1,073 | 1,208 | 1,385 | 1,529 | 1,714 |
| Pretax income | 686 | 858 | 1,044 | 1,369 | 1,356 | 1,494 |
| Net income (attributable) | 602 | 726 | 871 | 1,149 | 1,109 | 1,202 |
| Revenue growthcalc(this year’s revenue − last year’s revenue) ÷ last year’s revenue × 100 | — | 20.5% | 10.0% | 12.5% | 12.9% | 9.7% |
| Operating margincalcoperating income ÷ revenue × 100 | 52.2% | 52.5% | 53.7% | 54.8% | 53.5% | 54.7% |
| Net margincalcnet income attributable to the company ÷ revenue × 100 | 35.5% | 35.5% | 38.7% | 45.4% | 38.8% | 38.4% |
| Balance sheet ($M) | ||||||
| Total assets | 4,199 | 5,507 | 4,998 | 5,518 | 5,445 | 5,702 |
| Total equity | -443 | -163 | -1,008 | -740 | -940 | -2,655 |
| Interest-bearing debtSum of short- and long-term borrowings, notes/bonds payable | 3,367 | 4,161 | 4,512 | 4,508 | 4,511 | 6,202 |
| Equity ratio | -10.6% | -3.0% | -20.2% | -13.4% | -17.3% | -46.6% |
| Cash flow ($M) | ||||||
| Operating CF | 811 | 936 | 1,095 | 1,236 | 1,502 | 1,588 |
| Investing CF | -242 | -1,036 | -79 | -819 | -144 | -130 |
| Financing CF | -779 | 230 | -1,425 | -954 | -1,402 | -1,362 |
| Free cash flowcalccash flow from operations − capital expenditures | 789 | 923 | 1,082 | 1,213 | 1,468 | 1,549 |
| Cash and equivalents | 1,301 | 1,421 | 994 | 462 | 409 | 515 |
| Per share & other | ||||||
| EPS ($) | 7.12 | 8.70 | 10.72 | 14.39 | 14.05 | 15.69 |
| BVPS ($) | -5.37 | -1.98 | -12.61 | -9.35 | -12.09 | -36.09 |
| Dividend per share ($) | 2.92 | 3.64 | 4.58 | 5.52 | 6.40 | 7.20 |
| Payout ratiocalcdividend per share ÷ diluted EPS × 100 | 41.0% | 41.8% | 42.7% | 38.4% | 45.6% | 45.9% |
| P/E (x) | 62.7 | 70.4 | 43.4 | 39.3 | 42.7 | 36.6 |
| EV/EBITDA (x)calc(market cap + interest-bearing debt − cash and equivalents) ÷ (operating income + depreciation & amortization) | 42.6 | 48.3 | 33.0 | 34.7 | 32.8 | 27.6 |
Figures without a "calc" tag are as reported in the Form 10-K (the consolidated financial statements and, for older years, earlier 10-Ks), pulled automatically from SEC EDGAR. Where a later filing restated a prior period, the restated figure is used.
Last 8 quarters
Three-month figures from 10-Q filings. Change is versus the same quarter a year earlier. Newest quarter on top.
| Quarter ended | Revenue | Operating income | Net income | Diluted EPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-30 | $892M+12.4% | $502M+12.2% | $351M+7.9% | $4.86 |
| 2026-06-30 | $867M+12.2% | $488M+14.6% | $342M+12.6% | $4.69 |
| 2026-03-31 | $851M+14.1% | $457M+21.2% | $406M+40.7% | $5.53 |
| 2025-12-31 † | $823M+10.6% | $464M+14.4% | $285M-6.8% | — |
| 2025-09-30 | $793M | $448M | $325M | $4.25 |
| 2025-06-30 | $773M | $425M | $304M | $3.92 |
| 2025-03-31 | $746M | $377M | $289M | $3.71 |
| 2024-12-31 † | $744M | $405M | $306M | — |
† Fourth quarter = the 10-K’s annual figure minus the first three quarters; quarterly EPS isn’t derived this way because share counts change during the year.
16
Is ROIC above WACC?From SEC data
ROIC (the return on money invested in the business) above WACC (the cost of raising that money) means the company is creating value. WACC is an estimate, so its assumptions can be adjusted below.
ROIC (FY2025)
39.5%
formulaoperating income × (1 − tax rate) ÷ invested capital × 100 *invested capital = interest-bearing debt + total equity (average of beginning/ending)
e.g.$1,714M × (1 − 18%) ÷ $3,559M × 100 = 39.5%
termsOperating income · Effective tax rate · Invested capital · Interest-bearing debt · Total equity
WACC (this site’s estimate)
8.84%
formulacost of equity × equity weight + cost of debt × (1 − tax rate) × debt weight
e.g.Equity weight: $42.21B ÷ ($42.21B + $6.2B) = 87.2%
e.g.Debt weight: $6.2B ÷ ($42.21B + $6.2B) = 12.8%
e.g.WACC: 9.7% × 87.2% + 3.4% × (1 − 18%) × 12.8% = 8.84%
termsCost of equity · Equity weight (E/(D+E)) · Cost of debt · (1 − tax rate) · Debt weight (D/(D+E)) · Market capitalization
How firm is this? With the equity risk premium ±1 point and beta ±0.2, WACC runs 7.3%–10.7% and ROIC − WACC runs +28.7 to +32.2 points. The sign holds across this range. This describes the latest year and does not predict future value creation.
WACC 8.84% is this site’s estimate under the assumptions below (not a figure the company has published)
- Risk-free rate
- 4.95% (10-year Treasury, 2026-11-03)
- β
- 0.87 (price-derived adjusted beta)
- Equity risk premium
- 5.5%
- Cost of equity
- 9.73%
- Cost of debt
- 3.38%
- Tax rate
- 18% (effective rate, FY2023–FY2025)
- Capital structure (equity : debt)
- 87% : 13%
ROIC over time, vs. WACC
Unit: % — bars = each period's ROIC, horizontal line = latest WACC. Bars above the line are green, below are red
- ROIC (above WACC)
- ROIC (below WACC)
- WACC 8.84%
formulaoperating income × (1 − tax rate) ÷ invested capital × 100 *invested capital = interest-bearing debt + total equity (average of beginning/ending)
termsOperating income · Effective tax rate · Invested capital · Interest-bearing debt · Total equity
formulacost of equity × equity weight + cost of debt × (1 − tax rate) × debt weight
termsCost of equity · Equity weight (E/(D+E)) · Cost of debt · (1 − tax rate) · Debt weight (D/(D+E)) · Market capitalization
Try different WACC assumptions
β and the equity risk premium are estimates with a real range of plausible values — move the sliders to check whether ROIC > WACC still holds. The risk-free rate starts at the 10-year Treasury yield on 2026-11-03 (U.S. Treasury).
Initial β: 0.86 (price-derived adjusted beta. Raw β 0.80, R² 0.20, 130 weeks)
formula0.67 × β + 0.33 (β = the slope of weekly stock returns regressed on weekly market returns)
e.g.0.67 × 0.799 + 0.33 = 0.865
termsβ (beta)
Period 2024-05-10–2026-11-04, using S&P 500 ETF (SPY) as the market proxy. Source: Yahoo Finance price history.
formularisk-free rate + β × equity risk premium
e.g.5.0% + 0.87 × 5.5% = 9.7%
termsCAPM · Risk-free rate · β (beta) · Equity risk premium (market risk premium)
formulafiscal year-end closing price × shares outstanding (= market cap)
formulainterest expense ÷ interest-bearing debt × 100 (clamped to 0–10%; falls back to the risk-free rate if there’s no debt)
17
What the price implies (DCF)From SEC data
A company's value can be written as its free cash flow divided by (cost of capital − perpetual growth). Working that backwards from the market's valuation shows how much growth the share price assumed — compared here with the company's actual past growth.
Growth the price implies (price on 2026-11-04)
6.0%
Perpetual FCF growth: g = r − FCF ÷ EV = 8.8% − 2.8%
Past FCF growth (FY2020–FY2025)
+14.4%
Compound annual rate, 5 years
Past revenue growth (FY2020–FY2025)
+13.1%
Compound annual rate, 5 years
Inputs (FY2025): free cash flow $1.55B (operating CF − capex); enterprise value $54.47B = market cap $48.78B (latest close, 2026-11-04) + debt $6.2B − cash and short-term investments $515M; r = WACC of 8.8% using this page’s default assumptions (β 0.87, risk-free 5.0%, market premium 5.5%).
Three WACC scenarios
The same calculation under cautious, base and optimistic cost-of-capital assumptions (risk-free rate fixed at the 10-year Treasury yield). Pick one to load it into the sliders below.
Try your own assumptions
V = FCF ÷ (r − g). It starts at the implied growth rate, where the theoretical value equals today’s enterprise value.
Theoretical enterprise value
$55.33B
FCF $1.55B ÷ (8.8% − 6.0%)
Theoretical ÷ actual enterprise value
1.02x
Above 1x: these assumptions value the business above the market did
How sensitive the answer is
Theoretical ÷ actual enterprise value for each combination of r and g.
| g \ r | 6.8% | 7.8% | 8.8% | 9.8% | 10.8% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | 0.42x | 0.36x | 0.32x | 0.29x | 0.26x |
| 2% | 0.59x | 0.49x | 0.42x | 0.36x | 0.32x |
| 4% | 1.02x | 0.75x | 0.59x | 0.49x | 0.42x |
| 6% | 3.56x | 1.58x | 1.02x | 0.75x | 0.59x |
| 8% | — | — | 3.56x | 1.58x | 1.02x |
A simplified model for seeing what the market price assumes, not a forecast or a target price. It treats free cash flow as growing at one constant rate forever; the result swings widely with small changes in r and g, and is undefined when g reaches r. Free cash flow here is operating cash flow minus capex, which is after interest — a full DCF of enterprise value would use cash flow before interest. Market cap uses the latest close (2026-11-04) × shares at fiscal year-end; free cash flow and WACC inputs are from the latest fiscal year.
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Earnings qualityFrom SEC dataShow
The same reported profit can mean different things depending on whether it's backed by cash, driven by the core business, or the result of a one-off item. Four checks below.
- ✓
Operating CF ÷ net income: averages 1.27x
Profit is backed by cash coming in.
- ✓
Accrual ratio (latest): -6.9%
A small share of profit rests on accounting estimates.
- ✓
Core-earnings share (operating income ÷ pretax income): 115%
Most profit comes from core operations.
Operating CF vs. net income
Unit: $M — operating CF above net income means profit is backed by cash
- Operating CF
- Net income
formulacash flow from operations ÷ net income attributable to the company
termsCash flow from operations (operating CF) · Net income (attributable to the company)
formula(net income − operating CF) ÷ average total assets × 100
termsNet income (attributable to the company) · Cash flow from operations (operating CF) · Total assets
Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-06
Profit bridge (FY2025)
Unit: $M — what moved profit from operating income to net income
- Profit (each stage)
- Pushed profit up
- Pushed profit down
formulaoperating income ÷ income before income taxes × 100
termsOperating income · Income before income taxes (pretax income)
Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-06
Receivables & inventory days
Unit: days — days grow when receivables or inventory build up faster than sales
- Days sales outstanding
formulaaverage receivables (opening + closing ÷ 2) ÷ revenue × 365
formulaaverage inventory (opening + closing ÷ 2) ÷ cost of revenue × 365
termsInventory · Cost of revenue (COGS)
Worked examples (latest period)
formulacash flow from operations ÷ net income attributable to the company
e.g.$1,588M ÷ $1,202M = 1.32x
termsCash flow from operations (operating CF) · Net income (attributable to the company)
formulaoperating income ÷ income before income taxes × 100
e.g.$1,714M ÷ $1,494M × 100 = 115%
termsOperating income · Income before income taxes (pretax income)
formulaaverage receivables (opening + closing ÷ 2) ÷ revenue × 365
formulaaverage inventory (opening + closing ÷ 2) ÷ cost of revenue × 365
termsInventory · Cost of revenue (COGS)
19
Who holds the sharesFrom SEC dataShow
How much of the stock large institutional investors report owning on SEC Form 13F, how much the directors and executive officers hold (and how much of the vote they control), and roughly how much is left for individual investors. Shown next to beta so the holder mix can be read alongside how much the stock swings.
Institutions, insiders and everyone else, 13F holdings as of 2026-06-30
“Everyone else” is what remains after shares reported on Form 13F and shares held by directors and executive officers: mostly individual investors, plus non-insider families or foundations and smaller or foreign institutions. The figures have different dates and 13F reports count some shares twice — read it as an approximate split.
- Held by 13F filers
- 92.8%
- Directors & officers (shares)
- 3.8%
- Everyone else (est.)
- 3.4%
- Directors & officers (voting power)
- 3.8%
- Institutional-ownership rank
- 152 of 416
- Beta (adjusted)
- 0.87
individuals and other non-13F holders
no separate voting figure; shown as shares
1 = most institutional; 36% of covered companies have more
above 1 = swings more than the market
- 67.5M shares reported by 1,083 13F filers ÷ 72.7M shares outstanding on 2026-07-14. Option positions are excluded.
- Directors and executive officers as a group, from the proxy statement’s beneficial-ownership table; includes shares they can acquire within 60 days.
- A large “everyone else” share can still reflect a family, trust or foundation stake held outside the board; check the proxy statement’s 5% holders.
Sources: SEC Form 13F data set (holdings as of 2026-06-30) · Form DEF 14A filed 2026-03-11 (beneficial ownership table) · Form 10-Q cover page (shares outstanding as of 2026-07-14)
20
Strengths & weaknessesSite analysis
Strengths
1. Index standard-setter
MSCI indexes are widely used benchmarks; Index revenue grew from $1,452M (2023) to $1,787M (2025).
Evidence: Form 10-K (FY2025)
2. High margins
Operating income of $1,714M on $3,134M of revenue in 2025 (55%).
Evidence: Form 10-K (FY2025)
3. Long BlackRock contract
The BlackRock ETF license runs to 2035.
Evidence: Form 8-K (2026-01-28) — Item 1.01 (BlackRock ETF license amendment)
Weaknesses
1. Client concentration
BlackRock alone was 10.8% of 2025 revenue.
Evidence: Form 10-K (FY2025)
2. Negative equity
Stockholders’ deficit widened to $2.7B in 2025 as debt rose to $6.2B.
Evidence: Form 10-K (FY2025)
3. Market-linked fees
Asset-based fees fall when equity markets decline.
Evidence: Form 10-K (FY2025)
21
What draws investors to itSite analysis
Why the stock can look attractive to investors — each point paired with what has to hold for it to stay true, and the opposing view. This is this site's analysis, not a recommendation to buy or sell.
P/E (FY2025)
36.6x
Price at fiscal year-end ÷ diluted EPS
Dividend yield (FY2025)
1.25%
Dividends per share ÷ fiscal year-end price
Payout ratio (FY2025)
46%
Dividends per share ÷ diluted EPS
FCF yield (FY2025)
3.7%
(Operating CF − capex) ÷ market cap
1. Recurring, high-margin revenue
Subscriptions and asset-based fees with high margins.
- What has to hold
- Index usage keeps growing.
- The other side
- Market downturns.
Evidence: Form 10-K (FY2025)
2. Capital return
Rising dividends ($2.05 quarterly from 2026) and buybacks.
- What has to hold
- Cash flow stays strong.
- The other side
- Rising leverage.
Evidence: Form 10-K (FY2025)
Negative book value reflects buybacks, not losses.
22
ResilienceSite analysisShow
How well the company could absorb a bad year: its financial buffer, how its revenue and profit held up in the worst year on record, and what the 10-K says about the business's exposure to shocks. Figures and filing statements only — no overall rating.
1. Financial buffer (FY2025)
Cash & short-term investments ÷ debt due within a year
—
$515M vs. —
Interest coverage (operating income ÷ interest expense)
8.2x
$1.71B vs. $210M
Free cash flow ÷ dividends paid
2.8x
$1.55B vs. $557M (FCF = operating CF − capex)
2. Worst year in the record, and the recovery
| Figure | Worst year-over-year change | Back to the prior level? |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | No decline in the record | — |
| Operating income | No decline in the record | — |
Covers only the 6 fiscal years on record (FY2020–FY2025), which may not include a full recession — the worst year here isn’t necessarily how the company would fare in a severe downturn.
3. Business resilience (from the 10-K)
Steady growth
Operating revenues rose every year from $1,695M (2020) to $3,134M (2025).
Source: Form 10-K (FY2025)
23
Legal & regulatory mattersSite analysisShow
Lawsuits, government investigations, enforcement actions and settlements the company discloses — where each stands, what is at stake, and what comes next. From the 10-K's Legal Proceedings and contingencies note, the latest 10-Q, and 8-Ks.
MSCI discloses no material pending legal proceedings.
Company statement:
Based on Form 10-K (FY2025) — Legal Proceedings, reviewed 2026-10-30. Routine ordinary-course claims are not listed. “Major” is this site’s judgment of which matters could materially affect results.
24
Risks (including geopolitical)Site analysis
Starting from the 10-K's Risk Factors section, organized by category — geopolitical, currency, raw materials, regulatory, disaster, and more — with impact and likelihood assessed by this site.
Risk map
Vertical = impact on results, horizontal = likelihood. Upper right = most severe. Numbers match the list below (placement is this site’s own assessment).
Likelihood →
"Company disclosure" vs. "this site’s assessment"
The description and mitigation for each risk are this site’s summary of the 10-K’s "Risk Factors" section. Impact and likelihood are this site’s own assessment, not the company’s — where the company discloses its own likelihood assessment, that is noted in the summary.
Impact is judged from how large the affected business is relative to total revenue/profit, and from the risk’s track record of moving results in the past. Likelihood is judged from the filing’s wording and the current business environment (already occurring, or recurring). See the rating criteria.
- 1Demand & macro
Equity markets
- Company disclosure (summarized from the 10-K)
- Asset-based index fees depend on market levels and ETF flows.
- Company’s stated mitigation
- Not stated in the filings.
- This site’s assessment
- Impact Med / Likelihood High
- 2Competition & technology shift
Index and data competition
- Company disclosure (summarized from the 10-K)
- Competes with S&P Dow Jones Indices, FTSE Russell, Bloomberg, Solactive and self-indexing.
- Company’s stated mitigation
- Not stated in the filings.
- This site’s assessment
- Impact Med / Likelihood High
- 3Customer/supplier concentration
BlackRock dependence
- Company disclosure (summarized from the 10-K)
- A single client accounts for over 10% of revenue.
- Company’s stated mitigation
- Not stated in the filings.
- This site’s assessment
- Impact Med / Likelihood Med
- 4Law & regulation
ESG regulation
- Company disclosure (summarized from the 10-K)
- Regulation and political scrutiny of ESG ratings and indexes.
- Company’s stated mitigation
- Not stated in the filings.
- This site’s assessment
- Impact Med / Likelihood Med
- 5Funding & liquidity
Leverage
- Company disclosure (summarized from the 10-K)
- Long-term debt of $6.2B.
- Company’s stated mitigation
- Not stated in the filings.
- This site’s assessment
- Impact Low / Likelihood Med
25
What changed in the risk factorsFrom SEC data
Paragraphs in the latest 10-K's Risk Factors that have little overlap with the year before, and paragraphs that were dropped.
New or substantially reworded (5)
Competitors and new market entrants may use AI to develop products that compete with our offerings at lower price points, with faster time-to-market or with additional or better capabilities, which could impair our ability to compete effectively and put pressure on our revenues and subscriptions. Additionally, AI-enabled tools may allow clients, including asset managers, asset owners, banks, hedge funds and others, to develop in-house capabilities to replace our products such as custom indexes, risk analytics, and sustainability and climate data. Large-scale data scraping and generative AI models trained on publicly available information could also diminish the perceived uniqueness and commercial value of our proprietary content. Further, third-party AI tools and model providers may change their model behavior, pricing or terms, which could adversely affect our offerings, increase our…
We have adopted principles and governance frameworks designed to support responsible use, data protection and risk management, but these may prove insufficient to prevent harmful outcomes or may not keep pace with the rapid evolution of AI capabilities and risks.
• Advisory Services. Regulators have examined the role of various types of third-party information providers, including index and model providers and proxy advisors, in the asset-management ecosystem. Read more
Regulatory or legislative developments that expand or alter the definition of investment advice, proxy advice, or that subject index providers, model providers or ESG ratings providers to fiduciary or adviser-style obligations, could affect our businesses. For instance, in the United States, the SEC has previously sought public comment on the role of index providers and whether they are acting as investment advisers under the Investment Advisers Act. If any of our businesses were deemed to be providing investment advice or otherwise to have fiduciary or adviser-style obligations, this could significantly increase the costs and complexity of our business and potentially conflict with…
Because the financial services industry is highly regulated, we could become subject to other existing or new regulatory frameworks in the jurisdictions where we operate, which could increase our costs and risks, require changes to our products and services, or otherwise impact our business. Additionally, there has been increased attention on and scrutiny of index providers and
revolving credit facility includes a springing minimum interest coverage ratio, tested only during any period in which we do not maintain specified investment grade credit ratings.
No longer in the text (3)
• Investment Advisers Act. Except for certain products provided by MSCI ESG Research LLC and certain of its designated foreign affiliates, we believe our products and services do not constitute or provide investment advice as contemplated by the Advisers Act. See Part I, Item 1. “Business—Regulation” above. The Advisers Act imposes fiduciary duties, recordkeeping and reporting requirements, disclosure requirements, limitations on agency and principal transactions between an adviser and advisory clients, as well as general anti-fraud prohibitions. Changes in legal or regulatory requirements or changes to our product lines could require additional entities in our corporate family to register as investment advisers or comply with similar requirements in other jurisdictions.
In the U.S., the SEC has sought public comment on the role of certain third-party information providers to the asset management industry, including index providers and model providers, and whether information providers are acting as investment advisers under the Advisers Act. If our index business were to be deemed an investment adviser, we could be deemed a fiduciary to our clients, increasing the costs and complexity of our business. This could also conflict with obligations under other benchmark regulations. The SEC has also proposed a rule that would prohibit SEC-registered investment advisers from outsourcing certain services or functions to service providers that do not meet minimum due diligence, monitoring and record-keeping requirements, and index providers, among others, are identified as service providers that could fall within the scope of the proposed requirements. If…
In addition, our debt covenants contain certain obligations that are triggered by a change in our credit rating, including obligations to make repurchase offers to the noteholders of our senior unsecured notes (the “Senior Notes”) if we experience one of the specified kinds of changes in control and related lowering of our credit ratings, as detailed in the indentures governing our Senior Notes.
Matched automatically, quoted as filed, and may include rewording of an existing risk. Compares Item 1A of the 10-K filed Feb 6, 2026 ↗ with the 10-K filed Feb 7, 2025 ↗.
26
What to watch going forwardSite analysis
- ETF assets linked to MSCI indexes.
- Analytics and Sustainability subscription growth.
- Buybacks and leverage.
27
Source documentsShow
This page's financial figures come from the Form 10-Ks listed below. Check the original filings for full detail.
Other sources referenced in the analysis
Last updated
Analysis last edited: October 30, 2026 · Financial data fetched: October 30, 2026 12:58 (SEC EDGAR) · Source 10-K filed: February 6, 2026
Built on10-K FY2025 · filed 2026-02-06Proxy statement (2026)
Next update expectedAfter FY2026’s 10-K is filed (roughly 60–90 days after fiscal year end (sooner for larger filers)), financials and analysis will be refreshed.
This page is this site’s own analysis based on public information, and does not represent MSCI’s views. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security, and this site does not guarantee the accuracy of any figure or statement here. Always verify against the original source documents before making an investment decision.