CFRA, an independent research provider, has provided MT Newswires with the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:
We decrease our target price by $165 to $465, 27.4x our 2025 EPS estimate, a discount to MSCI’s 10-year forward P/E average of 36.4x given reduced growth prospects and slowing sales. We lower our 2024 EPS view by $0.22 to $14.93 and cut 2025’s by $0.20 to $17.00. MSCI posted Q1 adjusted EPS of $3.52 vs. $3.14, a $0.05 consensus beat. All eyes were on MSCI’s retention rate as it fell 240 bps to an uncharacteristically low level of 92.8%. Although disappointing, we expect improvement in upcoming quarters as a large portion of the decline was out of MSCI’s control and related to the large Swiss bank merger. MSCI’s Index segment (55% of run-rate) continued to perform well as 12% growth was driven by market appreciation, while decelerating 13% organic growth was identified in ESG & Climate (12% of run-rate). Still, cash inflows jumped to $21 billion (highest level since Q4 2022) as assets under management in equity ETF products linked to MSCI Indices reached an all-time record high of $1.58 trillion.