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 that it has launched the MSCI Micro Cap Indices for all Developed Markets countries and regions covered by MSCI. MSCI is the first major index provider to offer consistent micro cap coverage across these markets.
The MSCI Micro Cap Indices add 4,862 new securities to the number covered by the MSCI Global Equity Indices, led by constituents from Japan (1,318 securities) and the US (964 securities)1. The indices include companies with market capitalizations as low as USD 29.5 million1.
In conjunction with the MSCI Micro Cap Indices, MSCI is also launching the MSCI All Cap Indices today, which aim to provide comprehensive coverage of all capitalization segments and approximately 99.8% of the Developed Markets equity universe. The MSCI All Cap Indices extend and complement the existing MSCI Investable Market Indices (IMI) which include large, mid and small cap companies.
Theodore Niggli, Managing Director and Head of MSCI Indices, said “With the launch of these new indices we now offer an effective alternative to existing domestic micro cap indices, and provide a deeper all cap equity opportunity set for Developed Markets, with large, mid, small and micro cap representation.”
Both the MSCI Micro Cap Indices and the MSCI All Cap Indices follow the principles of the MSCI Global Investable Market Indices Methodology and are constructed with a focus on data quality, and index transparency and consistency across all size segments and geographies.
MSCI’s extension of coverage into the micro cap segment demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to address the evolving needs of its clients, and represents yet another landmark in the company’s 40-year history of index development. MSCI also announced today that it has extended its Frontier Markets universe to include small cap coverage. The new MSCI Frontier Markets Small Cap Indices cover 26 countries and 242 securities1.
Performance data for all the new indices will be available on www.msci.com at market close today, and will be included in the applicable end of day index products for MSCI index clients.
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