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MSCI vs. NDAQ: MSCI vs. Nasdaq Stock Comparison

How do MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ) are both classified in the Financial Exchanges & Data sub-industry within the broader Capital Markets industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ)
Profile ItemMSCINDAQ
NameMSCI Inc.Nasdaq, Inc. Common Stock
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorFinancialsFinancials
GICS Industry GroupFinancial ServicesFinancial Services
GICS IndustryCapital MarketsCapital Markets
GICS Sub-IndustryFinancial Exchanges & DataFinancial Exchanges & Data
Market Capitalization46.60 billion USD59.88 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENasdaq
Listing DateNovember 15, 2007July 1, 2002
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

MSCI
NDAQ
GSPC
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MSCI (MSCI) vs. Nasdaq (NDAQ), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ)
MetricMSCINDAQ
Total Return (1Y)12.76%26.55%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)9.86%30.18%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)1.00%10.68%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

MSCI
NDAQ
GSPC
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MSCI (MSCI) vs. Nasdaq (NDAQ), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ)
MetricMSCINDAQ
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)29.82%28.74%
Beta (5Y)1.170.94
Max Drawdown (5Y)-43.74%-32.57%
Avg. Volume (3M)590.34K3.13M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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MSCI and NDAQ are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ)
MetricMSCINDAQ
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.280.77
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.401.09

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Nasdaq (NDAQ) earns 17.33% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; MSCI (MSCI) has no ROE this period.

MSCI

Financial Services industry group

--

Max
44.78%
Q3
21.85%
Median
12.91%
Q1
4.48%
Min
-18.71%
MSCI
--

NDAQ

Financial Services industry group

17.33%

Max
44.78%
Q3
21.85%
NDAQ
17.33%
Median
12.91%
Q1
4.48%
Min
-18.71%
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MSCI (MSCI) vs. Nasdaq (NDAQ): MSCI does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; NDAQ is benchmarked against the Financial Services industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both MSCI (MSCI) at 40.31% and Nasdaq (NDAQ) at 36.06% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

MSCI

Financial Services industry group

40.31%

Max
62.84%
MSCI
40.31%
Q3
28.05%
Median
15.36%
Q1
4.82%
Min
-28.52%

NDAQ

Financial Services industry group

36.06%

Max
62.84%
NDAQ
36.06%
Q3
28.05%
Median
15.36%
Q1
4.82%
Min
-28.52%
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MSCI (MSCI) vs. Nasdaq (NDAQ): A comparison of their net margin against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

MSCI (MSCI) at 56.41% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Nasdaq (NDAQ) at 50.57%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

MSCI

Financial Services industry group

56.41%

Max
107.33%
MSCI
56.41%
Q3
55.90%
Median
30.09%
Q1
14.60%
Min
-44.34%

NDAQ

Financial Services industry group

50.57%

Max
107.33%
Q3
55.90%
NDAQ
50.57%
Median
30.09%
Q1
14.60%
Min
-44.34%
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MSCI (MSCI) vs. Nasdaq (NDAQ): A comparison of their operating margin against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ)
MetricMSCINDAQ
ROE (TTM)--17.33%
ROA (TTM)21.75%6.10%
Net Margin (TTM)40.31%36.06%
Operating Margin (TTM)56.41%50.57%
Gross Margin (TTM)----

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both MSCI (MSCI) at 9.75% and Nasdaq (NDAQ) at 11.65% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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MSCI (MSCI) vs. Nasdaq (NDAQ): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Nasdaq (NDAQ) at 60.10% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while MSCI (MSCI) at 11.67% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for NDAQ.

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MSCI (MSCI) vs. Nasdaq (NDAQ): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ)
MetricMSCINDAQ
Revenue Growth (YoY)9.75%11.65%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)11.71%9.89%
EPS Growth (YoY)11.67%60.10%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)13.54%10.99%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: MSCI (MSCI) in Financial Services and Nasdaq (NDAQ) in Financial Services both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: MSCI (MSCI) in Financial Services and Nasdaq (NDAQ) in Financial Services run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ)
MetricMSCINDAQ
Current Ratio (MRQ)----
Debt / Equity (MRQ)----
Net Debt / EBITDA----

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both MSCI (MSCI) at 1.21% and Nasdaq (NDAQ) at 1.09% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

MSCI

Financial Services industry group

1.21%

Max
9.77%
Q3
3.92%
MSCI
1.21%
Median
1.09%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

NDAQ

Financial Services industry group

1.09%

Max
9.77%
Q3
3.92%
Median
1.09%
NDAQ
1.09%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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MSCI (MSCI) vs. Nasdaq (NDAQ): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both MSCI (MSCI) at 42.04% and Nasdaq (NDAQ) at 31.69% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

MSCI

Financial Services industry group

42.04%

Max
241.07%
Q3
97.36%
MSCI
42.04%
Median
25.77%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

NDAQ

Financial Services industry group

31.69%

Max
241.07%
Q3
97.36%
NDAQ
31.69%
Median
25.77%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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MSCI (MSCI) vs. Nasdaq (NDAQ): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ)
MetricMSCINDAQ
Dividend Yield (TTM)1.21%1.09%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)42.04%31.69%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both MSCI (MSCI) at 33.90 and Nasdaq (NDAQ) at 29.27 sit in the richer earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, so investors are paying more for TTM earnings than they pay for typical peers.

MSCI

Financial Services industry group

33.90

Max
45.85
MSCI
33.90
Q3
24.64
Median
15.37
Q1
9.68
Min
0.16

NDAQ

Financial Services industry group

29.27

Max
45.85
NDAQ
29.27
Q3
24.64
Median
15.37
Q1
9.68
Min
0.16
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MSCI (MSCI) vs. Nasdaq (NDAQ): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Investors are paying well above the peer range per dollar of sales for both MSCI (MSCI) at 13.58 and Nasdaq (NDAQ) at 10.36 — each P/S ratio clears its industry’s benchmark range.

MSCI

Financial Services industry group

13.58

MSCI
13.58
Max
9.23
Q3
4.57
Median
2.72
Q1
1.28
Min
-0.55

NDAQ

Financial Services industry group

10.36

NDAQ
10.36
Max
9.23
Q3
4.57
Median
2.72
Q1
1.28
Min
-0.55
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MSCI (MSCI) vs. Nasdaq (NDAQ): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

MSCI (MSCI) reports a negative P/B ratio of -15.24, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Nasdaq (NDAQ) reports 4.99, ranking against industry peers normally.

MSCI

Financial Services industry group

-15.24

Max
7.79
Q3
3.63
Median
1.57
Q1
0.81
Min
-0.39
MSCI
-15.24

NDAQ

Financial Services industry group

4.99

Max
7.79
NDAQ
4.99
Q3
3.63
Median
1.57
Q1
0.81
Min
-0.39
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MSCI (MSCI) vs. Nasdaq (NDAQ): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Financial Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for MSCI (MSCI) and Nasdaq (NDAQ)
MetricMSCINDAQ
P/E Ratio (TTM)33.9029.27
P/S Ratio (TTM)13.5810.36
P/B Ratio (MRQ)-15.244.99
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)----