GENEVA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MSCI Inc. (NYSE: MSCI), a leading provider of investment decision support tools worldwide, including indices, portfolio risk and performance analytics and corporate governance services, announced today its decision to reclassify the MSCI Qatar and MSCI UAE Indices from Frontier Markets to Emerging Markets, the MSCI Greece Index from Developed Markets to Emerging Markets and the MSCI Morocco Index from Emerging Markets to Frontier Markets. The reclassifications of the MSCI Qatar and MSCI UAE Indices will coincide with the May 2014 Semi-Annual Index Review while the reclassifications of the MSCI Greece and MSCI Morocco Indices will coincide with the November 2013 Semi-Annual Index Review.
MSCI also announced today the start of the review of China A-shares for a potential inclusion in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, driven primarily by a series of positive market opening measures and strong regulatory momentum over the past 12 months. The initiation of this consultation does not, in any way, indicate that the China A-shares have already met the standards of Emerging Markets in terms of market accessibility criteria. In fact, a large number of key obstacles in the areas of capital mobility, quota allocation and taxation continue to exist and substantial progress would need to be made in order to warrant an inclusion in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. However, given the significant size of the China A-share market and the possibility of further regulatory reforms in the short term, MSCI believes that it is important to actively engage with the international investment community on this matter. The speed and magnitude of any hypothetical inclusion will be entirely dependent on the actual progress in the opening of the market and the resulting experience of international institutional investors.
Additionally, MSCI announced that the MSCI Korea and MSCI Taiwan Indices will remain under review for a potential reclassification to Developed Markets.
MSCI also announced that it is closely monitoring the situation in Egypt, in particular the negative developments in the foreign exchange market. MSCI may launch a public consultation on a potential exclusion of the MSCI Egypt Index from the MSCI Emerging Markets Index were the situation to worsen in the coming months.
Finally, MSCI also released today the 2013 Global Market Accessibility Review for the 79 markets under its coverage.
As a reminder, every June MSCI communicates its conclusions following discussions with the investment community on the list of countries under review and announces the new list of countries, if any, under review for potential market reclassification in the upcoming cycle. MSCI will communicate its decisions resulting from this Annual Market Classification Review in June 2014.
A more detailed version of this announcement has been posted on MSCI’s web site at http://www.msci.com/eqb/pressreleases/archive/2013_Mkt_Class_PR.pdf.
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MSCI will hold two press conference calls to answer questions from the media. Note that these press conference calls are restricted to journalists.
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First Conference Call |
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| Date: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 | ||||
| Time: 11.30pm CEST/10.30pm BST/5.30pm EDT/1.30am GST | ||||
| Toll Free Numbers: | ||||
| US: 866‐803‐2143 | Hong Kong: 800‐900‐592 | |||
| UK: 0800‐279‐3953 | Japan: 00531‐12‐1857 | |||
| UAE: 8000‐35702379 | S. Korea: 00798‐14800‐6732 | |||
| Taiwan: 00801‐137‐708 | ||||
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Participant passcode: MSCI |
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Second Conference Call |
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| Date: Wednesday, June12, 2013 | ||||
| Time: 9.00am CEST/8.00am BST/3.00am EDT/11.00am GST | ||||
| Toll Free Numbers: | ||||
| US: 866‐803‐2143 | Hong Kong: 800‐900‐592 | |||
| UK: 0800‐279‐3953 | Japan: 00531‐12‐1857 | |||
| UAE: 8000‐35702379 | S. Korea: 00798‐14800‐6732 | |||
| Taiwan: 00801‐137‐708 | ||||
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Participant passcode: MSCI |
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Clients and other interested parties should contact MSCI Global Client Service with any enquiries.
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About MSCI
MSCI Inc. is a leading provider of investment decision support tools to investors globally, including asset managers, banks, hedge funds and pension funds. MSCI products and services include indices, portfolio risk and performance analytics, and governance tools.
The company’s flagship product offerings are: the MSCI indices with close to USD 7 trillion estimated to be benchmarked to them on a worldwide basis1; Barra multi-asset class factor models, portfolio risk and performance analytics; RiskMetrics multi-asset class market and credit risk analytics; IPD real estate information, indices and analytics; MSCI ESG (environmental, social and governance) Research screening, analysis and ratings; ISS governance research and outsourced proxy voting and reporting services; and FEA valuation models and risk management software for the energy and commodities markets. MSCI is headquartered in New York, with research and commercial offices around the world.
1As of September 30, 2012, as published by eVestment, Lipper and Bloomberg on January 31, 2013
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