Yahoo Finance MSCI (MSCI) and Moody's Team Up to Boost ESG Transparency
MSCI MSCI recently announced a partnership with Moody’s MCO, marking a milestone in advancing ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) transparency in financial markets.
The partnership will leverage MSCI’s robust sustainability data and models, widely utilized by major asset managers worldwide, to bolster Moody’s offerings across banking, insurance, and corporate sectors.
Moody’s will also integrate MSCI’s industry-leading ESG ratings and content into its solutions, gradually replacing its own ESG data offerings.
The agreement also entails MSCI gaining access to Moody’s extensive Orbis database, paving the way for expanded private company ESG coverage and exploration into advanced solutions for the private credit market.
MSCI Rides on Strong Portfolio
The latest move bodes well with MSCI’s focus on enhancing ESG transparency and expanding private company ESG coverage through leveraging Moody’s Orbis database and credit scoring models.
In first-quarter 2024, MSCI achieved 10% 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 13%.
Acquisitions have also played a significant role in shaping the company’s growth trajectory. In April, MSCI completed the acquisition of Foxberry, a London-based index provider, aimed at enhancing custom index production capabilities and providing simulation and back-testing capabilities for institutional investors.
MSCI’s acquisition of Fabric is also a major positive. The buyout has been benefitting wealth managers' portfolio design capabilities and meeting evolving trends. It is also helping it provide institutional-quality tools for personalized client portfolios at scale.
The acquisition of Trove Research strengthens MSCI’s data capabilities on the voluntary carbon market, which it believes will play a significant role in helping institutional investors and companies reduce climate risks.
Moreover, the integration of Burgiss under MSCI’s Private Capital Solutions segment continued to strengthen its offerings in private assets.
MSCI’s diversified portfolio and strategic acquisitions are contributing to its growth prospects continuously and driving top-line growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2024 revenues is pegged at $695.29 million, suggesting 11.93% growth year over year. The consensus mark for earnings is pegged at $3.55 per share, unchanged in the past 30 days.
Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider
Currently, MSCI carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
The company’s shares have declined 15.3% against the Zacks Computer & Technology sector’s growth of 24.4% year to date.
Some better-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector are Arista Networks ANET and Dropbox DBX, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1(Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Arista Networks’ shares have gained 51.4% in the year-to-date period. The long-term earnings growth rate for ANET is pegged at 16.07%.
Shares of Dropbox have declined 23.6% in the year-to-date period. The long-term earnings growth rate for DBX is pegged at 11.44%.
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Moody's Corporation (MCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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