MSCI Inc.MSCI
MSCI Inc. Segments Disclosure
SEGMENT INFORMATION
ASC Subtopic 280-10, “Segment Reporting,” establishes standards for reporting information about operating segments. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available. This information is regularly evaluated by the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) to allocate resources and assess performance. Through November 2025, MSCI’s Chief Executive Officer and its President and Chief Operating Officer together served as the CODM. Following the leadership transition announced in November 2025, under which the President and Chief Operating Officer roles were separated, our Chief Executive Officer serves as the sole CODM. This transition did not affect how the CODM reviews financial information on an operating segment basis to make operational decisions and assess financial performance.
The CODM measures and evaluates operating segments based on segment operating revenues and Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is used to assess segment performance and guide resource allocation, including decisions related to capital allocations and acquisitions. Additionally, Adjusted EBITDA is used to monitor actual performance against budget and to establish management's compensation. The CODM also uses Adjusted EBITDA for competitive analysis, benchmarking MSCI's performance against its competitors to evaluate segment performance. Adjusted EBITDA for each segment is calculated by subtracting segment Adjusted EBITDA expenses from segment operating revenues.
MSCI excludes the following items from segment Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA expenses: provision for income taxes; other expense (income), net; depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements; amortization of intangible assets; and, at times, certain other transactions or adjustments. These may include impairments related to sublease of leased property and certain acquisition-related integration and transaction costs that the CODM does not consider when allocating resources among segments or assessing segment performance. While these amounts are excluded from segment Adjusted EBITDA, they are included in reported consolidated net income and are reflected in the reconciliation provided below.
Operating revenues and expenses directly associated with each segment are included in determining that segment’s operating results. Expenses not directly attributable to a specific segment are allocated using methodologies, such as time estimates, revenue,
headcount, sales targets, data center consumption and other relevant usage measures. Given the integrated structure of MSCI’s business, certain costs incurred by one segment may benefit other segments. Additionally, a segment may utilize content and data produced by another segment without incurring an intersegment charge. Within Adjusted EBITDA expenses by operating segment, there are no categories of expenses regularly provided to the CODM.
The CODM does not receive information about total assets on an operating segment basis. Operating segments do not record intersegment revenues; therefore, none are reported. The accounting policies used for segment reporting are consistent with those applied to MSCI as a whole.
MSCI has five operating segments: Index, Analytics, Sustainability and Climate, Real Assets and Private Capital Solutions. These are presented as three reportable segments: Index, Analytics and Sustainability and Climate. The operating segments Real Assets and Private Capital Solutions do not individually meet the segment reporting thresholds and have been combined into All Other – Private Assets.
Prior to the step acquisition of Burgiss on October 2, 2023, the Company’s ownership interest in Burgiss was classified as an equity-method investment. Therefore, All Other – Private Assets did not include the Company’s proportionate share of operating revenues and Adjusted EBITDA related to Burgiss. The Company’s proportionate share of the income or loss from its equity-method investment in Burgiss was not a component of Adjusted EBITDA as it was reported as a component of other (expense) income, net. Following the acquisition, the consolidated results of Burgiss were included in the Company’s Private Capital Solutions operating segment.
The Index reportable segment provides equity and fixed income indexes. The indexes are used across the investment process, including the development of indexed financial products (e.g., ETFs, mutual funds, annuities, futures, options, structured products, over-the-counter derivatives), performance benchmarking, portfolio construction and rebalancing, asset allocation and creating custom indexes.
The Analytics reportable segment offers risk management, performance attribution, and portfolio management content, applications and services. These offerings provide clients with an integrated view of risk and return and tools for analyzing market, credit, liquidity, counterparty and climate risks across all major asset classes, including public and private securities, spanning short, medium and long term horizons. Clients can access Analytics tools and content through MSCI’s proprietary applications and application programming interfaces (APIs), third-party applications or directly via their own platforms.
We continue to develop new and improved tools and capabilities in response to the evolving needs of our clients. In addition, our analytics capabilities are helping fuel growth in key areas across our business, such as our factor indexes, climate risk reporting solutions and factor risk analytics on private assets.
The Sustainability and Climate reportable segment offers products and services that help institutional investors understand how sustainability considerations can impact the long-term risk and return of their portfolio and individual security-level investments. This segment also provides data, ratings, research and tools to assist investors navigate increasing regulation, meet new client demands and better integrate sustainability and climate considerations into their investment processes.
The Real Assets operating segment offers data, benchmarks, return-analytics, climate assessments and market insights for tangible assets such as real estate and infrastructure. Its performance and risk analytics services range from enterprise-wide assessments to property-specific analysis. Additionally, the operating segment offers business intelligence products for real estate owners, managers, developers and brokers worldwide.
The Private Capital Solutions operating segment provides a suite of tools to support investors in overseeing investment portfolios across public and private assets. These include sourcing terms and conditions, evaluating operating performance of underlying portfolio companies, managing risk and other activities related to private capital investing.
The following table presents operating revenues, Adjusted EBITDA expenses and segment profitability and a reconciliation to net income for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands) | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | December 31, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating revenues | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Index | $ | 1,786,808 | $ | 1,596,145 | $ | 1,451,815 | ||||||||||||||
| Analytics | 714,397 | 675,089 | 615,956 | |||||||||||||||||
| Sustainability and Climate | 353,915 | 326,601 | 287,568 | |||||||||||||||||
Total reportable segment operating revenues | 2,855,120 | 2,597,835 | 2,355,339 | |||||||||||||||||
All Other – Private Assets | 279,339 | 258,293 | 173,581 | |||||||||||||||||
Total operating revenues | 3,134,459 | 2,856,128 | 2,528,920 | |||||||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA expense | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Index | 420,800 | 374,091 | 344,842 | |||||||||||||||||
| Analytics | 371,867 | 346,794 | 341,081 | |||||||||||||||||
| Sustainability and Climate | 225,438 | 221,893 | 195,890 | |||||||||||||||||
Total reportable segment Adjusted EBITDA expense | 1,018,105 | 942,778 | 881,813 | |||||||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Index Adjusted EBITDA | 1,366,008 | 1,222,054 | 1,106,973 | |||||||||||||||||
| Analytics Adjusted EBITDA | 342,530 | 328,295 | 274,875 | |||||||||||||||||
| Sustainability and Climate Adjusted EBITDA | 128,477 | 104,708 | 91,678 | |||||||||||||||||
Total reportable segment profitability | 1,837,015 | 1,655,057 | 1,473,526 | |||||||||||||||||
| Plus: | ||||||||||||||||||||
All Other – Private Assets(1) | 69,437 | 61,427 | 49,425 | |||||||||||||||||
Less: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 169,480 | 164,037 | 114,429 | |||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements | 23,405 | 16,978 | 21,009 | |||||||||||||||||
| Impairment related to sublease of leased property | — | — | 477 | |||||||||||||||||
Acquisition-related integration and transaction costs(2) | — | 6,951 | 2,427 | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating income | 1,713,567 | 1,528,518 | 1,384,609 | |||||||||||||||||
| Other expense (income), net | 219,311 | 172,350 | 15,548 | |||||||||||||||||
Income before provision for income taxes | 1,494,256 | 1,356,168 | 1,369,061 | |||||||||||||||||
| Provision for income taxes | 291,951 | 247,040 | 220,469 | |||||||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 1,202,305 | $ | 1,109,128 | $ | 1,148,592 | ||||||||||||||
______________________________
(1)Revenue less segment expenses from segments below the segment reporting thresholds are attributable to Private Capital Solutions and Real Assets operating segments. Private Capital Solutions and Real Assets operating segments do not meet any of the segment reporting thresholds for determining reportable segments.
(2)Represents transaction expenses and other costs directly related to the acquisition and integration of acquired businesses, including professional fees, severance expenses, regulatory filing fees and other costs, in each case that are incurred no later than 12 months after the close of the relevant acquisition.
Operating revenues by geography are primarily based on the shipping address of the ultimate customer utilizing the product. The following table presents revenue by geographic area for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands) | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | December 31, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating revenues | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Americas: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United States | $ | 1,267,406 | $ | 1,168,998 | $ | 1,044,016 | ||||||||||||||
| Other | 140,702 | 128,950 | 111,965 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total Americas | 1,408,108 | 1,297,948 | 1,155,981 | |||||||||||||||||
| Europe, the Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”): | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom | 543,481 | 479,674 | 408,087 | |||||||||||||||||
| Other | 698,498 | 632,133 | 569,032 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total EMEA | 1,241,979 | 1,111,807 | 977,119 | |||||||||||||||||
| Asia & Australia: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Japan | 127,611 | 114,157 | 100,823 | |||||||||||||||||
| Other | 356,761 | 332,216 | 294,997 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total Asia & Australia | 484,372 | 446,373 | 395,820 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 3,134,459 | $ | 2,856,128 | $ | 2,528,920 | ||||||||||||||
Long-lived assets consist of property, equipment and leasehold improvements, right of use assets and internally developed capitalized software, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. The following table presents long-lived assets by geographic area on the dates indicated:
| As of | ||||||||||||||
| (in thousands) | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Long-lived assets | ||||||||||||||
| Americas: | ||||||||||||||
| United States | $ | 270,984 | $ | 253,072 | ||||||||||
| Other | 6,576 | 7,558 | ||||||||||||
| Total Americas | 277,560 | 260,630 | ||||||||||||
| EMEA: | ||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom | 20,491 | 17,632 | ||||||||||||
| Other | 24,235 | 22,157 | ||||||||||||
| Total EMEA | 44,726 | 39,789 | ||||||||||||
| Asia & Australia: | ||||||||||||||
| Japan | 413 | 874 | ||||||||||||
| Other | 28,802 | 27,601 | ||||||||||||
| Total Asia & Australia | 29,215 | 28,475 | ||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 351,501 | $ | 328,894 | ||||||||||
Free Sentinel
Track for freeWant the next MSCI Inc. segments disclosure the moment it drops?
Set a Sentinel and we'll alert you the moment MSCI Inc.'s next filing hits EDGAR. No credit card, your email never gets sold.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 6, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 7, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 9, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 10, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 11, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 12, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 18, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 22, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 26, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 24, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 26, 2016 | |
About Segments Disclosures
Segment disclosures break a company into its reportable operating units, revealing revenue, profit, and asset allocation that consolidated financial statements obscure. Under ASC 280, segments must match how the chief operating decision maker views the business, providing a window into internal management structure and resource allocation priorities.
Key signals: compare segment margins to identify which units drive profitability and which destroy value. Watch for changes in the number of reportable segments — segment aggregation or disaggregation often coincides with strategic shifts or attempts to obscure declining performance. Intersegment elimination patterns reveal internal pricing practices. The reconciliation between segment totals and consolidated figures exposes corporate overhead allocation and unallocated items. Geographic revenue concentration highlights regulatory and currency exposure. Compare segment-level capital expenditure against segment revenue to assess where management is investing for future growth versus harvesting existing assets.