MSCI Inc., formerly known as Morgan Stanley Capital International Inc., is a leading provider of investment decision support tools worldwide. MSCI's areas of expertise include indices, portfolio risk and performance analytics, and governance tools from a top-down economic, aggregate and detailed industry level down to specific pairings and securities.
Established in 1969, the company is headquartered in New York, with research and commercial offices around the world. MSCI serves 97 of the top 100 largest money managers, as per the most recent P&I ranking.
MSCI's most known products are the MSCI indices, which include over 200,000 daily indices covering more than 85 countries. These indices are used as benchmarks for many mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and other investment portfolios. The company's flagship product is the MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI), but they also provide other highly regarded indices including MSCI Emerging Markets Index and MSCI EAFE Index.
British company Pearson initially owned MSCI, but it was sold to Morgan Stanley and Capital International in 1998, and thus, the name Morgan Stanley Capital International came into existence. In 2009, Morgan Stanley decreased its stake, turning MSCI into a public company listed under “MSCI” on the NYSE. Following this, MSCI started its expansion phase, acquiring multiple companies like RiskMetrics Group, IPD Group, InvestorForce, and Carbon Delta to enhance its risk management and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) offerings.
The company is committed to the future of investment and regularly introduces innovative indices such as factor indices, thematic indices and ESG indices. These innovations help investors in constructing portfolios to meet specific risk and return objectives.
MSCI continues to focus on technology and data services to deliver high-quality products and services to clients. They offer solutions that are used by institutions such as hedge funds, asset managers, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds.
The success of MSCI is grounded in the company’s commitment to providing robust, high-quality data and analytical tools for its clients worldwide. Their stability and growth reflect the critical role they play in the global investment ecosystem.