Americana Partners LLC Increases Holdings in MSCI Inc.

Americana Partners LLC has notably boosted its investment in MSCI Inc. (NYSE:MSCI - Free Report), increasing its holdings by an impressive 71.5% during the third quarter of the year. This increase was revealed in the company's recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Following this acquisition, Americana Partners LLC now owns a total of 2,567 shares of MSCI, having purchased an additional 1,070 shares during the specified period. At the conclusion of the last quarter, these shares were valued at $1,496,000.

In addition to Americana Partners LLC, other institutional investors have also made adjustments to their positions in MSCI. For instance, Rothschild Investment LLC entered a new position in MSCI during the second quarter, with an investment of $26,000. Similarly, HWG Holdings LP acquired shares valued at $27,000 during the same period, while Crewe Advisors LLC made a $34,000 investment earlier in the first quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC and American National Bank & Trust also purchased new shares worth $40,000 and $58,000, respectively, during the second and third quarters. It is noteworthy that institutional and hedge fund investors own approximately 89.97% of MSCI's stock.

Recent Stock Performance

As of Friday, MSCI's shares started trading at $577.95. The company's market capitalization stands at $45.46 billion, with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 37.95 and a P/E to growth (P/E/G) ratio of 2.97. The stock registers a beta of 1.11, indicating its volatility relative to the market. Over the last twelve months, MSCI shares have reached a low of $439.95 and a high of $631.70. Currently, the stock maintains a 50-day moving average of $580.21 and a 200-day moving average of $530.08.

Quarterly Earnings and Financials

MSCI recently announced its quarterly earnings on October 29th, revealing an earnings per share (EPS) of $3.86, which surpassed analysts' estimates of $3.77 by $0.09. The company reported total revenues of $724.70 million, exceeding predictions of $716.15 million. Despite a negative return on equity of 162.06%, MSCI reported a strong net margin of 43.06%. When compared to the previous year’s same quarter, the revenue grew by 15.9%. Analysts anticipate that MSCI will report an EPS of approximately 14.94 for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Distribution

In addition to its earnings report, MSCI recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.60, which will be distributed on November 29th to shareholders who are on record as of November 15th. This dividend indicates an annualized payout of $6.40, representing a yield of 1.11%. The ex-dividend date is also set for November 15th, with the current dividend payout ratio for MSCI reported at 42.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have updated their ratings and forecasts for MSCI shares recently. Redburn Atlantic upgraded the stock from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" and set a target price of $680.00. Barclays raised theirs from $650.00 to $700.00 and upgraded their rating to "overweight". UBS Group revised their target from $695.00 to $680.00 with a buy rating, while Morgan Stanley increased their target to $662.00, maintaining an overweight rating. Argus raised its target from $520.00 to $600.00, also rating it a buy. Currently, analysis shows that out of sixteen ratings, seven have categorized MSCI as a hold while nine recommend it as a buy. According to MarketBeat, the average rating is classified as a "Moderate Buy" with a price target of $631.83.

About MSCI Inc.

MSCI Inc., along with its subsidiaries, provides essential decision-support resources and solutions for the investment community, facilitating investment management on a global scale. The company's Index segment produces indices for various investment applications, including financial products like ETFs, mutual funds, and structured products, performance benchmarking, portfolio construction, and asset allocation solutions. MSCI also licenses Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) and GICS Direct.

investment, stocks, institutional