MSCI MSCI shares gained 27.2% in the trailing six months compared with the broader Zacks Finance sector’s return of 6.5%.

The outperformance can be attributed to strong demand for custom and factor index modules, recurring revenue business models and the growing adoption of its ESG and Climate solutions in the investment process.

MSCI’s Strong Growth Driven by ESG and Climate Solutions

MSCI’s expanding portfolio and robust adoption of its Climate and ESG solutions have been a major growth driver.

In third-quarter 2024, MSCI achieved 11.1% organic revenue growth, driven by strong performance across various segments, including Analytics, ESG and Index Investments. The company witnessed growth in its ESG and Climate solutions, with organic run rate growth of 11%.

In September, MSCI launched MSCI Carbon Project Ratings, further solidifying its leadership in the ESG and climate space. The company provides over 4,000 independent assessments of carbon credit projects worldwide, evaluating their climate impact, implementation integrity, and legal and ethical risks on a seven-point AAA-to-CCC scale.

MSCI Benefits From Expanding Clientele

Expanding clientele has been a key catalyst for MSCI. In July, the company announced a partnership with Moody’s MCO, marking a milestone in advancing ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) transparency in financial markets.

In July, MSCI and Moody’s announced a strategic partnership to enhance ESG and sustainability transparency. The partnership will combine MSCI’s ESG data with Moody’s Orbis database and credit scoring models.

MSCI’s partnership with Microsoft MSFT has further expanded its clientele and is considered a major positive for the company.

The partnership with Microsoft aims to enhance the global investment industry by leveraging Microsoft’s cloud and AI technologies to modernize MSCI’s products and drive ESG solutions.

MSCI’s Earnings Estimates Show Upward Movement

MSCI’s diverse portfolio and expanding clientele are contributing continuously to its growth prospects and driving top-line growth.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter 2024 revenues is currently pegged at $744.57 million, suggesting 7.89% growth year over year.

The consensus mark for fourth-quarter earnings is currently pegged at $3.95 per share, which remained unchanged in the past 30 days. The figure calls for a year-over-year increase of 7.34%

Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.

MSCI Struggles With Pricing Pressure and Macro Headwinds

Despite a diverse portfolio and expanding clientele, a tighter spending environment and longer sales cycles due to challenging macroeconomic conditions are expected to hurt MSCI’s financial performance.

The company has underperformed the Zacks Financial - Investment Management sector’s rise of 30.2% in the past six months.

Increasing pricing pressure is also a major concern, primarily due to the growing availability of free indices from providers like Morningstar MORN.

As Morningstar continues to offer more accessible options, self-indexing and lower spending by asset managers on gathering data are other headwinds.

MSCI Shares Are Overvalued

MSCI stock is not so cheap, as the Value Score of F suggests a stretched valuation at this moment.

The forward 12-month Price/Sales ratio for MSCI stands at 15.35, higher than its Zacks Financial - Investment Management industry’s 11.63, reflecting a stretched valuation.

MSCI currently carries Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), suggesting that it may be wise to wait for a more favorable entry point in the stock. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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