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MSCI Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 21 April 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 7 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue grew 14.1% to $850.8 million: Operating revenues were $850.8 million, up 14.1%, with organic growth of 13.3%. Currency and acquisitions accounted for the gap between reported and organic growth. Source
  • Index revenue rose 17.7%: Index revenues were $496.3 million, up 17.7%, with asset-based fees up 26.6% to $224.5 million and recurring subscriptions up 9.0%. Source
  • Total Run Rate reached $3.36 billion: Total Run Rate was $3,357.3 million, up 12.7%, with recurring subscription Run Rate up $203.3 million and asset-based fee Run Rate up $174.8 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 59.3%: Adjusted EBITDA was $504.7 million, up 18.6%, and the margin was 59.3%, against 57.1% a year earlier. Source
  • Interest expense rose with higher debt: Other expense, net rose 47.5% to $67.7 million, mainly from higher interest expense. Interest expense was $69.1 million against $46.5 million. Source
  • Free cash flow was $278.0 million: Free cash flow was $278.0 million against $268.8 million, with capex of $28.8 million and operating cash flow of $306.8 million. Source
  • Depreciation and amortization range raised: The full-year 2026 depreciation and amortization expense range was raised; the other full-year guidance ranges were kept from the prior release. Source

“In the first quarter MSCI delivered strong financial and operating metrics, including a record asset-based-fee run rate and our best Q1 of recurring net-new subscription sales since 2022”

Henry A. Fernandez, Chairman and CEO of MSCI

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Operating expense SourceFull-Year 2026$1,490 to $1,530 millionKept
Adjusted EBITDA expense SourceFull-Year 2026$1,305 to $1,335 millionKept
Interest expense (including amortization of financing fees) SourceFull-Year 2026$274 to $280 millionKept
Depreciation and amortization expense SourceFull-Year 2026$190 to $200 millionRaised from $185 to $195 million
Effective tax rate SourceFull-Year 202618.0% to 20.0%Kept
Capital expenditures SourceFull-Year 2026$160 to $170 millionKept
Net cash provided by operating activities SourceFull-Year 2026$1,640 to $1,690 millionKept
Free cash flow SourceFull-Year 2026$1,470 to $1,530 millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: The full-year 2026 depreciation and amortization expense range moved up to $190 to $200 million from $185 to $195 million. Source
  • New: The company paid cash for acquisitions of Compass Financial Technologies and Vantager in the first quarter, shown in business acquisitions within investing activities. Source
  • Ended: The multi-phase internal legal entity restructuring that began in fourth quarter 2025 was completed in the first quarter of 2026. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue grew 14.1% to $850.8 million: Operating revenues were $850.8 million, up 14.1%, with organic growth of 13.3%. Currency and acquisitions accounted for the gap between reported and organic growth. Source
  • Recurring and asset-based fees drove the rise: Revenue rose $105.0 million: recurring subscription revenues added $47.6 million, asset-based fees $47.1 million, and non-recurring revenues $10.3 million. Source
  • Operating income rose 21.2%: Operating income was $456.9 million, up 21.2%, from $377.0 million, and the operating margin was 53.7% against 50.6%. Source
  • Net income and EPS rose: Net income was $406.0 million, up 40.7%. Diluted EPS was $5.53, up 49.1%, and adjusted EPS was $4.55, up 13.8%. Source

Segments and regions

  • Index revenue rose 17.7%: Index revenues were $496.3 million, up 17.7%, with asset-based fees up 26.6% to $224.5 million and recurring subscriptions up 9.0%. Source
  • Index Run Rate reached $1.9 billion: Index Run Rate was $1.9 billion, up 16.8%, with fee growth tied to higher assets in ETFs and non-ETF funds linked to MSCI indexes. Source
  • Analytics revenue rose 10.3%: Analytics revenues were $190.0 million, up 10.3%, with organic growth of 10.5%. Source
  • Sustainability revenue rose 8.6%: Sustainability and Climate revenues were $91.9 million, up 8.6%, with organic growth of 3.7%, and adjusted EBITDA rose 38.7% to $33.0 million. Source
  • Private Assets revenue rose 7.9%: All Other - Private Assets revenues were $72.6 million, up 7.9%, with organic growth of 5.3%, while adjusted EBITDA fell 3.5% to $13.7 million. Source

“The sales momentum we have achieved cuts across regions, product lines, client segments and asset classes, and we are building on it through relentless, AI-fueled product innovation”

Henry A. Fernandez, Chairman and CEO of MSCI

Products and client segments

  • Index net new sales rose 74.6%: Index new recurring subscription sales were $32.8 million, up 45.8%, and net new recurring sales rose 74.6% to $24.8 million. Index Retention Rate was 96.9%. Source
  • Analytics growth in Multi-Asset and Equity: Analytics Run Rate rose $55.6 million to $763.4 million, with growth in Multi-Asset Class and Equity Analytics products. Source
  • Sustainability cancellations rose 40.4%: Sustainability and Climate new recurring sales were $7.5 million, up 4.2%, while cancellations rose 40.4% to $6.6 million. Retention Rate was 93.0% against 94.5%. Source
  • Private Capital Solutions drove Run Rate: All Other - Private Assets Run Rate was $296.4 million, up 8.4%, mainly from Private Capital Solutions products, with growth across all regions. Source

Run Rate, sales and retention

  • Total Run Rate reached $3.36 billion: Total Run Rate was $3,357.3 million, up 12.7%, with recurring subscription Run Rate up $203.3 million and asset-based fee Run Rate up $174.8 million. Source
  • ETF equity AUM reached $2,403 billion: Period-end AUM in ETFs linked to MSCI equity indexes was $2,403 billion, up from $2,341 billion, with the period-end basis point fee at 2.35 against 2.41. Source
  • New recurring sales up 28.5%: New recurring subscription sales were $67.6 million, up 28.5%, with cancellations of $28.0 million, up 5.7%, leaving net new recurring sales at $39.6 million. Source
  • Retention Rate held near 95%: Total Retention Rate was 95.4%, compared with 95.3% a year earlier. Source

“These results affirmed MSCI’s foundational, mission-critical role in global capital markets, which is also reflected in the growing liquidity and scale of the investment ecosystem linked to our indexes and IP.”

Henry A. Fernandez, Chairman and CEO of MSCI

Costs and expenses

  • Adjusted EBITDA expenses rose 8.1%: Adjusted EBITDA expenses were $346.1 million, up 8.1%, on higher headcount-related compensation, partly offset by lower severance costs. Source
  • Non-compensation costs rose: Non-compensation costs rose on professional fees, market data and information technology. Total operating expenses were $393.9 million, up 6.8%. Source

Margins, earnings and tax

  • Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 59.3%: Adjusted EBITDA was $504.7 million, up 18.6%, and the margin was 59.3%, against 57.1% a year earlier. Source
  • Effective tax rate fell to (4.3)%: The effective tax rate was (4.3)% against 12.8%, after an $88 million discrete benefit from the internal legal entity restructuring. Source
  • Interest expense rose with higher debt: Other expense, net rose 47.5% to $67.7 million, mainly from higher interest expense. Interest expense was $69.1 million against $46.5 million. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Free cash flow was $278.0 million: Free cash flow was $278.0 million against $268.8 million, with capex of $28.8 million and operating cash flow of $306.8 million. Source
  • Debt rose to $6.5 billion: Principal debt was $6.5 billion at March 31, 2026, with debt to adjusted EBITDA at 3.2x and debt to net income at 4.9x. Source
  • Buybacks of $464 million to April 20: Repurchases in the first quarter and through April 20, 2026 totalled $464 million, or 835,591 shares, at an average price of $555.61. Source
  • About $1.7 billion authorization remains: About $1.7 billion remained on the share repurchase authorization as of April 20, 2026. Weighted average diluted shares fell 5.7% to 73.4 million. Source
  • Dividends paid in first quarter: Dividends paid to shareholders in the first quarter totalled about $150.1 million, the company reported. Source
  • Cash balance fell to $385.3 million: Cash and cash equivalents were $385.3 million at March 31, 2026, down from $515.3 million at December 31, 2025. Source

Full-year 2026 guidance

  • Depreciation and amortization range raised: The full-year 2026 depreciation and amortization expense range was raised; the other full-year guidance ranges were kept from the prior release. Source
  • Tax rate range excludes restructuring: The 18.0% to 20.0% effective tax rate range excludes the restructuring, whose tax benefit is excluded from applicable non-GAAP measures when presented. Source

People and headcount

  • Headcount rose 2.2% to 6,319: Headcount was 6,319 at March 31, 2026, up 2.2%, with 71% of employees in emerging market locations and 29% in developed markets. Source

Coming up, as management said on 21 April 2026

  • Second-quarter dividend payment date: The $2.05 per share second-quarter 2026 dividend is payable May 29, 2026, to holders of record at the close of trading on May 15, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total Run Rate Source$3,357.3 million
Retention Rate Source95.4%
Organic recurring subscription Run Rate growth Source8.2%
Period-end AUM in ETFs linked to MSCI equity indexes Source$2,403 billion

Risks management discussed

  • External: Full-year guidance rests on macroeconomic and capital markets assumptions that management says are subject to uncertainty and could lead to different results. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The prior release expected an $88 million tax benefit in 2026 from later restructuring phases. This release reports it was recognized in the first quarter. Source
  • Not stated: The stated target range is 3.0x to 3.5x. The reported ratio at quarter end was 3.2x. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.