Americana Partners LLC Boosts Stake in MSCI Inc.

Americana Partners LLC has significantly increased its investment in MSCI Inc. (NYSE:MSCI) by 71.5% in the third quarter, as disclosed in their latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Following this latest purchase, Americana Partners holds 2,567 shares of the technology company after acquiring an additional 1,070 shares during this period. At the close of the latest quarter, the value of their holdings in MSCI reached approximately $1,496,000.

Recent Institutional Activity

In addition to Americana Partners' increase in holdings, other institutional investors have also made adjustments to their positions in MSCI. For example, Rothschild Investment LLC initiated a new stake in MSCI during the second quarter with a value of $26,000. Similarly, HWG Holdings LP invested $27,000 in MSCI, and Crewe Advisors LLC entered with a new position valued at $34,000 in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Ridgewood Investments LLC invested $40,000 during the second quarter, and American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position during the third quarter valued at $58,000. Overall, hedge funds and institutional investors control roughly 89.97% of MSCI's shares.

MSCI Stock Performance

On Friday, MSCI shares opened at $577.95. The company has a market capitalization of $45.46 billion with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 37.95, a price-to-earnings growth (P/E/G) ratio of 2.97, and a beta of 1.11. The stock has fluctuated within a twelve-month range of $439.95 as a low and $631.70 as a high. Currently, the 50-day moving average stands at $580.21, while the 200-day moving average is $530.08.

Quarterly Earnings Reports

For its latest earnings report published on October 29th, MSCI reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $3.86, surpassing analysts' expectations of $3.77 by $0.09. The company generated revenue of $724.70 million during the quarter, exceeding the forecast of $716.15 million by analysts. Though MSCI showed a negative return on equity of 162.06%, it achieved a net margin of 43.06%. Revenue grew by 15.9% when compared to the same quarter the previous year, where EPS was reported at $3.45. Analysts anticipate that MSCI will post an EPS of 14.94 for the ongoing fiscal year.

Dividend Announcement

Recently, MSCI declared a quarterly dividend, set to be paid on November 29th. Shareholders who are recorded on November 15th will receive a dividend payment of $1.60, equating to an annualized dividend of $6.40, which gives the stock a dividend yield of 1.11%. The ex-dividend date is also November 15th. Currently, MSCI maintains a dividend payout ratio of 42.02%.

Analyst Ratings

Several analysts have recently updated their ratings and price targets for MSCI's stock. Redburn Atlantic has upgraded MSCI from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" with a target price of $680.00. Barclays elevated their price target from $650.00 to $700.00, maintaining an "overweight" rating. Meanwhile, UBS Group reduced their price target from $695.00 to $680.00 while keeping a "buy" rating, and Morgan Stanley increased their target from $640.00 to $662.00, also maintaining an "overweight" rating. Argus has raised its price target from $520.00 to $600.00. Overall, seven analysts have given the stock a hold rating, while nine have rated it as a buy. According to MarketBeat.com data, MSCI carries an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a price target averaging $631.83.

About MSCI Inc.

MSCI Inc. is a provider of important tools and solutions that help the investment community to manage investment processes globally. Their Index segment offers indices used in various aspects of investing including indexed financial products like ETFs, mutual funds, and structured products, as well as performance benchmarking, portfolio construction, and rebalancing.

Investment, Stocks, Earnings