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MSCI Reports Financial Results for Second Quarter and Six Months 2021; Increases Quarterly Dividend

MSCI Inc. (“MSCI” or the “Company”) (NYSE: MSCI), a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community, today announced its financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2021 (“second quarter 2021”) and six months ended June 30, 2021 (“six months 2021”).

Financial and Operational Highlights for Second Quarter 2021

(Note: Unless otherwise noted, percentage and other changes are relative to the three months ended June 30, 2020 (“second quarter 2020”) and Run Rate percentage changes are relative to June 30, 2020).

  • Operating revenues of $498.2 million, up 21.6%
  • Recurring subscription revenues up 12.3%; Asset-based fees up 54.6%
  • Operating margin of 51.7%; Adjusted EBITDA margin of 59.2%
  • Diluted EPS of $1.99, up 46.3%; Adjusted EPS of $2.45, up 38.4%
  • New recurring subscription sales growth of 29.3%; Organic subscription Run Rate growth of 11.3%; Retention Rate of 94.4%
  • Paid $64.3 million in dividends to shareholders in second quarter 2021
  • Board of Directors approved a 33.3% increase to quarterly dividend to $1.04 per share payable in the third quarter of 2021; payout ratio target maintained at a range of 40% to 50% of Adjusted EPS

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

In thousands,

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

YoY %

 

except per share data (unaudited)

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

% Change

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

Change

 

Operating revenues

 

$

498,180

 

 

$

409,616

 

 

 

21.6

%

 

$

976,603

 

 

$

826,396

 

 

 

18.2

%

Operating income

 

$

257,533

 

 

$

215,175

 

 

 

19.7

%

 

$

511,908

 

 

$

423,059

 

 

 

21.0

%

Operating margin %

 

 

51.7

%

 

 

52.5

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

52.4

%

 

 

51.2

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

165,423

 

 

$

115,123

 

 

 

43.7

%

 

$

362,242

 

 

$

263,248

 

 

 

37.6

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted EPS

 

$

1.99

 

 

$

1.36

 

 

 

46.3

%

 

$

4.34

 

 

$

3.10

 

 

 

40.0

%

Adjusted EPS

 

$

2.45

 

 

$

1.77

 

 

 

38.4

%

 

$

4.91

 

 

$

3.67

 

 

 

33.8

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

294,949

 

 

$

236,700

 

 

 

24.6

%

 

$

571,535

 

 

$

465,927

 

 

 

22.7

%

Adjusted EBITDA margin %

 

 

59.2

%

 

 

57.8

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

58.5

%

 

 

56.4

%

 

 

 

 

“MSCI drove exceptional results in the second quarter. The strategic and disciplined investments we have made to be a change agent in the modernizing investment industry positioned us well to generate significant revenue growth and margin expansion during the quarter,” said Henry A. Fernandez, Chairman and CEO of MSCI.

“We will continue our intense focus on client centricity as we set and maintain standards for the investment industry, most notably supporting the increasing global alignment with a net zero world,” added Mr. Fernandez.

Second Quarter Consolidated Results

Operating Revenues: Operating revenues were $498.2 million, up 21.6%. The $88.6 million increase was comprised of $48.1 million in higher asset-based fees and $38.2 million in higher recurring subscription revenues, as well as $2.3 million in higher non-recurring revenues.

Run Rate and Retention Rate: Total Run Rate at June 30, 2021 was $1,979.5 million, up 20.2%. The asset-based fees Run Rate increased by $177.9 million and the recurring subscription Run Rate increased by $154.3 million. Organic subscription Run Rate growth was 11.3%. Retention Rate in second quarter 2021 was 94.4%, compared to 93.5% in second quarter 2020.

Expenses: Total operating expenses were $240.6 million, up 23.8%, and included a $16.0 million non-cash charge, recorded in amortization of intangible assets, related to the write-off of internally developed capitalized software associated with Beon. Adjusted EBITDA expenses were $203.2 million, up 17.5%, primarily reflecting higher compensation and benefits costs, mainly due to higher incentive compensation and increased headcount, as well as higher non-compensation costs in the areas of information technology costs, professional fees, market data costs and recruiting costs. Total operating expenses excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations (“ex-FX”) and adjusted EBITDA expenses ex-FX increased 20.0% and 13.4%, respectively.

Headcount: As of June 30, 2021, headcount was 3,910 employees, with approximately 34% and approximately 66% of employees located in developed market and emerging market locations, respectively.

Other Expense (Income), Net: Other expense (income), net was $61.8 million, down 18.6%. The lower net expense primarily reflected the lower debt extinguishment costs from the notes redemption in second quarter 2021 as compared to second quarter 2020.

Income Taxes: The effective tax rate was 15.5% in second quarter 2021, compared to 17.3% in second quarter 2020. The decline was primarily due to the favorable impact of final regulations released during the third quarter 2020 clarifying certain provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was enacted on December 22, 2017. Both periods reflected significant discrete tax benefits, in relation to pretax income, including the tax impact of loss on debt extinguishment recognized during each period and in the second quarter of 2021, primarily the tax impact of the revaluation of deferred taxes as a result of the enactment of a tax rate increase in the UK and the tax impact of prior year refund claims.

Net Income: As a result of the factors described above, net income was $165.4 million, up 43.7%.

Adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA was $294.9 million, up 24.6%. Adjusted EBITDA margin in second quarter 2021 was 59.2%, compared to 57.8% in second quarter 2020.

Index Segment:

Table 1A: Results (unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

 

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

YoY %

In thousands

 

2021

 

2020

 

% Change

 

2021

 

2020

 

Change

Operating revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recurring subscriptions

 

$160,061

 

$145,404

 

10.1%

 

$315,178

 

$285,244

 

10.5%

Asset-based fees

 

136,142

 

88,075

 

54.6%

 

262,848

 

188,271

 

39.6%

Non-recurring

 

9,760

 

9,429

 

3.5%

 

20,428

 

18,649

 

9.5%

Total operating revenues

 

305,963

 

242,908

 

26.0%

 

598,454

 

492,164

 

21.6%

Adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

72,495

 

59,652

 

21.5%

 

145,107

 

125,321

 

15.8%

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$233,468

 

$183,256

 

27.4%

 

$453,347

 

$366,843

 

23.6%

Adjusted EBITDA margin %

 

76.3%

 

75.4%

 

 

 

75.8%

 

74.5%

 

 

Index operating revenues were $306.0 million, up 26.0%. The $63.1 million increase was primarily driven by $48.1 million in higher asset-based fees and $14.7 million in higher recurring subscription revenues.

Growth in asset-based fees primarily reflected an increase in revenues from exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) linked to MSCI equity indexes. This increase was in turn driven by a 66.4% increase in average AUM in ETFs linked to MSCI equity indexes, partially offset by a decline in average basis point fees on those AUM. Non-ETF indexed funds linked to MSCI indexes and exchange-traded futures and options contracts linked to MSCI indexes also contributed to the increase in asset-based fees.

Recurring subscription revenues increased by $14.7 million, with strong contributions from factors, ESG and climate index products and continued contribution from market cap-weighted index products.

Index Run Rate as of June 30, 2021 was $1.2 billion, up 25.8%. The $244.5 million increase was comprised of a $177.9 million increase in asset-based fees Run Rate and a $66.6 million increase in recurring subscription Run Rate. The increase in asset-based fees Run Rate was primarily driven by higher AUM in ETFs linked to MSCI equity indexes, higher AUM and new client agreements in non-ETF indexed funds linked to MSCI indexes and higher fees in exchange-traded futures and options contracts linked to MSCI indexes. The increase in recurring subscription Run Rate was primarily driven by growth in market cap-weighted index products and reflected growth across all regions and all client segments.

Analytics Segment:

Table 1B: Results (unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

 

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

YoY %

In thousands

 

2021

 

2020

 

% Change

 

2021

 

2020

 

Change

Operating revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recurring subscriptions

 

$133,368

 

$126,189

 

5.7%

 

$265,040

 

$250,254

 

5.9%

Non-recurring

 

2,534

 

1,374

 

84.4%

 

4,879

 

2,817

 

73.2%

Total operating revenues

 

135,902

 

127,563

 

6.5%

 

269,919

 

253,071

 

6.7%

Adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

86,088

 

81,396

 

5.8%

 

174,374

 

170,587

 

2.2%

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$49,814

 

$46,167

 

7.9%

 

$95,545

 

$82,484

 

15.8%

Adjusted EBITDA margin %

 

36.7%

 

36.2%

 

 

 

35.4%

 

32.6%

 

 

Analytics operating revenues were $135.9 million, up 6.5%. The $8.3 million increase was driven by higher recurring subscription revenues from both Equity and Multi-Asset Class Analytics products.

Analytics Run Rate as of June 30, 2021 was $563.9 million, up 5.6%. The increase of $29.9 million was driven by growth in both Multi-Asset Class and Equity Analytics products. Analytics organic Run Rate growth was 5.0%.

ESG and Climate Segment:

Table 1C: Results (unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

 

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

YoY %

In thousands

 

2021

 

2020

 

% Change

 

2021

 

2020

 

Change

Operating revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recurring subscriptions

 

$38,567

 

$25,908

 

48.9%

 

$72,707

 

$50,809

 

43.1%

Non-recurring

 

741

 

394

 

88.1%

 

1,351

 

726

 

86.1%

Total operating revenues

 

39,308

 

26,302

 

49.4%

 

74,058

 

51,535

 

43.7%

Adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

33,588

 

20,803

 

61.5%

 

63,293

 

42,410

 

49.2%

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$5,720

 

$5,499

 

4.0%

 

$10,765

 

$9,125

 

18.0%

Adjusted EBITDA margin %

 

14.6%

 

20.9%

 

 

 

14.5%

 

17.7%

 

 

ESG and Climate operating revenues were $39.3 million, up 49.4%. The $13.0 million increase was primarily driven by strong growth from Ratings and Climate products. Excluding foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, ESG and Climate revenue growth was 38.9%.

ESG and Climate Run Rate as of June 30, 2021 was $164.1 million, up 44.4%. The $50.4 million increase primarily reflects strong growth across both Ratings and Climate products. ESG and Climate organic Run Rate growth was 41.7%.

All Other – Private Assets Segment:

Table 1D: Results (unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

 

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

YoY %

In thousands

 

2021

 

2020

 

% Change

 

2021

 

2020

 

Change

Operating revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recurring subscriptions

 

$16,134

 

$12,383

 

30.3%

 

$32,937

 

$28,002

 

17.6%

Non-recurring

 

873

 

460

 

89.8%

 

1,235

 

1,624

 

(24.0%)

Total operating revenues

 

17,007

 

12,843

 

32.4%

 

34,172

 

29,626

 

15.3%

Adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

11,060

 

11,065

 

—%

 

22,294

 

22,151

 

0.6%

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$5,947

 

$1,778

 

234.5%

 

$11,878

 

$7,475

 

58.9%

Adjusted EBITDA margin %

 

35.0%

 

13.8%

 

 

 

34.8%

 

25.2%

 

 

All Other – Private Assets operating revenues, which is reflective of the Real Estate operating segment, were $17.0 million, up 32.4%, primarily reflecting strong contributions from Enterprise Analytics tools. Excluding favorable foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, All Other – Private Assets revenue growth was 20.3%.

All Other – Private Assets Run Rate, which is reflective of the Real Estate operating segment, as of June 30, 2021 was $58.1 million, up 14.5%. The $7.4 million increase primarily reflected strong growth in both Enterprise Analytics and Global Intel products, as well as growth from new sales of Real Estate Climate Value-at-Risk products. All Other – Private Assets organic subscription Run Rate growth was 7.9%.

Select Balance Sheet Items and Capital Allocation

Cash Balances and Outstanding Debt: Cash and cash equivalents was $2.0 billion as of June 30, 2021 and included the proceeds from the issuance of $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of 3.625% senior unsecured notes due 2031 completed on May 14, 2021. MSCI typically seeks to maintain minimum cash balances globally of approximately $200.0 million to $250.0 million for general operating purposes.

Total outstanding debt as of June 30, 2021 was $4.0 billion. The total debt to net income ratio (based on trailing twelve months net income) was 5.7x. The total debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio (based on trailing twelve months adjusted EBITDA) was 3.7x.

MSCI seeks to maintain total debt to adjusted EBITDA in a target range of 3.0x to 3.5x.

Capex and Cash Flow: Capex was $11.1 million. Cash provided by operating activities was $225.1 million, down 14.3% primarily reflecting higher income taxes and cash expenses paid in the quarter, partially offset by higher cash collections from customers. Free cash flow was $214.0 million, down 14.8%.

Share Count and Share Repurchases: Weighted average diluted shares outstanding were 83.3 million in second quarter 2021, down 1.2% year-over-year. Total shares outstanding as of June 30, 2021 were 82.4 million. A total of $1.6 billion of outstanding share repurchase authorization remains as of July 23, 2021.

Dividends: Approximately $64.3 million in dividends were paid to shareholders in second quarter 2021. On July 26, 2021, the MSCI Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $1.04 per share for third quarter 2021, payable on August 31, 2021 to shareholders of record as of the close of trading on August 13, 2021.

Full-Year 2021 Guidance

MSCI's guidance for the year ending December 31, 2021 (“Full-Year 2021”) is based on assumptions about a number of macroeconomic and capital market factors, in particular related to equity markets. These assumptions are subject to uncertainty, and actual results for the year could differ materially from our current guidance, including as a result of ongoing uncertainty related to the duration, magnitude and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guidance Item

Current Guidance for Full-Year 2021

Prior Guidance for Full-Year 2021

Operating Expense(1)

$920 to $940 million

$885 to $920 million

Adjusted EBITDA Expense

$820 to $840 million

$795 to $825 million

Interest Expense (including amortization of financing fees)(2)

~$160 million

~$150 million

Depreciation & Amortization Expense(1)

~$100 million

$90 to $95 million

Effective Tax Rate

14.0% to 17.0%

15.0% to 18.0%

Capital Expenditures

$50 to $60 million

$50 to $60 million

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities

$900 to $940 million

$885 to $925 million

Free Cash Flow

$840 to $890 million

$825 to $875 million

(1) Depreciation & Amortization includes $16.0 million intangible asset write-off related to Beon in second quarter 2021, partially offset by lower depreciation & amortization expenses for the remainder of 2021.

(2) Interest income will continue to be impacted by the lower rates available on cash balances.

Conference Call Information

MSCI's senior management will review the second quarter 2021 results on Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time. To listen to the live event, visit the events and presentations section of MSCI's Investor Relations homepage, https://ir.msci.com/events-and-presentations, or dial 1-877-376-9931 conference ID: 5498174 within the United States. International callers may dial 1-720-405-2251 conference ID: 5498174. The teleconference will also be webcast with an accompanying slide presentation which can be accessed through MSCI's Investor Relations website.

MSCI is a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community. With over 50 years of expertise in research, data and technology, we power better investment decisions by enabling clients to understand and analyze key drivers of risk and return and confidently build more effective portfolios. We create industry-leading research-enhanced solutions that clients use to gain insight into and improve transparency across the investment process. To learn more, please visit www.msci.com. MSCI#IR

Forward-Looking Statements

This earnings release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including without limitation, MSCI’s full-year 2021 guidance. These forward-looking statements relate to future events or to future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are, in some cases, beyond MSCI’s control and that could materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

Other factors that could materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements can be found in MSCI’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 12, 2021 and in quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed or furnished with the SEC. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if MSCI’s underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from what MSCI projected. Any forward-looking statement in this earnings release reflects MSCI’s current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to MSCI’s operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. MSCI assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Website and Social Media Disclosure

MSCI uses its website, including its quarterly updates, blog, podcasts and social media channels, including its corporate Twitter account (@MSCI_Inc), as channels of distribution of company information. The information MSCI posts through these channels may be deemed material. Accordingly, investors should monitor these channels, in addition to following MSCI’s press releases, quarterly SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. In addition, you may automatically receive email alerts and other information about MSCI when you enroll your email address by visiting the “Email Alerts Subscription” section of MSCI’s Investor Relations homepage at http://ir.msci.com/email-alerts. The contents of MSCI’s website, including its quarterly updates, blog, podcasts and social media channels are not, however, incorporated by reference into this earnings release.

Notes Regarding the Use of Operating Metrics

MSCI has presented supplemental key operating metrics as part of this earnings release, including Retention Rate, Run Rate, subscription sales, subscription cancellations and non-recurring sales.

Retention Rate is an important metric because subscription cancellations decrease our Run Rate and ultimately our operating revenues over time. The annual Retention Rate represents the retained subscription Run Rate (subscription Run Rate at the beginning of the fiscal year less actual cancels during the year) as a percentage of the subscription Run Rate at the beginning of the fiscal year.

The Retention Rate for a non-annual period is calculated by annualizing the cancellations for which we have received a notice of termination or for which we believe there is an intention not to renew during the non-annual period, and we believe that such notice or intention evidences the client’s final decision to terminate or not renew the applicable agreement, even though such notice is not effective until a later date. This annualized cancellation figure is then divided by the subscription Run Rate at the beginning of the fiscal year to calculate a cancellation rate. This cancellation rate is then subtracted from 100% to derive the annualized Retention Rate for the period.

Retention Rate is computed by operating segment on a product/service-by-product/service basis. In general, if a client reduces the number of products or services to which it subscribes within a segment, or switches between products or services within a segment, we treat it as a cancellation for purposes of calculating our Retention Rate except in the case of a product or service switch that management considers to be a replacement product or service. In those replacement cases, only the net change to the client subscription, if a decrease, is reported as a cancel. In the Analytics and the ESG and Climate operating segments, substantially all product or service switches are treated as replacement products or services and netted in this manner, while in our Index and Real Estate operating segments, product or service switches that are treated as replacement products or services and receive netting treatment occur only in certain limited instances. In addition, we treat any reduction in fees resulting from a down-sale of the same product or service as a cancellation to the extent of the reduction. We do not calculate Retention Rate for that portion of our Run Rate attributable to assets in index-linked investment products or futures and options contracts, in each case, linked to our indexes.

Run Rate estimates at a particular point in time the annualized value of the recurring revenues under our client license agreements (“Client Contracts”) for the next 12 months, assuming all Client Contracts that come up for renewal are renewed and assuming then-current currency exchange rates, subject to the adjustments and exclusions described below. For any Client Contract where fees are linked to an investment product’s assets or trading volume/fees, the Run Rate calculation reflects, for ETFs, the market value on the last trading day of the period, for futures and options, the most recent quarterly volumes and/or reported exchange fees, and for other non-ETF products, the most recent client-reported assets. Run Rate does not include fees associated with “one-time” and other non-recurring transactions. In addition, we add to Run Rate the annualized fee value of recurring new sales, whether to existing or new clients, when we execute Client Contracts, even though the license start date, and associated revenue recognition, may not be effective until a later date. We remove from Run Rate the annualized fee value associated with products or services under any Client Contract with respect to which we have received a notice of termination or non-renewal during the period and have determined that such notice evidences the client’s final decision to terminate or not renew the applicable products or services, even though such notice is not effective until a later date.

“Organic subscription Run Rate growth” is defined as the period over period Run Rate growth, excluding the impact of changes in foreign currency and the first year impact of any acquisitions. It is also adjusted for divestitures. Changes in foreign currency are calculated by applying the currency exchange rate from the comparable prior period to current period foreign currency denominated Run Rate.

Sales represents the annualized value of products and services clients commit to purchase from MSCI and will result in additional operating revenues. Non-recurring sales represent the actual value of the customer agreements entered into during the period and are not a component of Run Rate. New recurring subscription sales represent additional selling activities, such as new customer agreements, additions to existing agreements or increases in price that occurred during the period and are additions to Run Rate. Subscription cancellations reflect client activities during the period, such as discontinuing products and services and/or reductions in price, resulting in reductions to Run Rate. Net new recurring subscription sales represent the amount of new recurring subscription sales net of subscription cancellations during the period, which reflects the net impact to Run Rate during the period.

Total gross sales represent the sum of new recurring subscription sales and non-recurring sales. Total net sales represent the total gross sales net of the impact from subscription cancellations.

Notes Regarding the Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

MSCI has presented supplemental non-GAAP financial measures as part of this earnings release. Reconciliations are provided in Tables 9 through 15 below that reconcile each non-GAAP financial measure with the most comparable GAAP measure. The non-GAAP financial measures presented in this earnings release should not be considered as alternative measures for the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. The non-GAAP financial measures presented in this earnings release are used by management to monitor the financial performance of the business, inform business decision-making and forecast future results.

“Adjusted EBITDA” is defined as net income before (1) provision for income taxes, (2) other expense (income), net, (3) depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements, (4) amortization of intangible assets and, at times, (5) certain other transactions or adjustments.

“Adjusted EBITDA expenses” is defined as operating expenses less depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements and amortization of intangible assets and, at times, certain other transactions or adjustments.

“Adjusted net income” and “adjusted EPS” are defined as net income and diluted EPS, respectively, before the after-tax impact of the amortization of acquired intangible assets, including the amortization of the basis difference between the cost of the equity method investment and MSCI’s share of the net assets of the investee at historical carrying value, the impact of divestitures, the impact of adjustments for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was enacted on December 22, 2017 (“Tax Reform”), except for certain amounts associated with active tax planning implemented as a result of Tax Reform, and, at times, certain other transactions or adjustments, including the impact related to costs associated with debt extinguishment.

“Adjusted tax rate” is defined as the effective tax rate excluding the impact of Tax Reform adjustments (except for certain amounts associated with active tax planning implemented as a result of Tax Reform).

“Capex” is defined as capital expenditures plus capitalized software development costs.

“Free cash flow” is defined as net cash provided by operating activities, less Capex.

“Organic operating revenue growth” is defined as operating revenue growth compared to the prior year period excluding the impact of acquired businesses, divested businesses and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.

Asset-based fees ex-FX does not adjust for the impact from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations on the underlying assets under management (“AUM”).

We believe adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA expenses are meaningful measures of the operating performance of MSCI because they adjust for significant one-time, unusual or non-recurring items as well as eliminate the accounting effects of certain capital spending and acquisitions that do not directly affect what management considers to be our ongoing operating performance in the period.

We believe adjusted net income and adjusted EPS are meaningful measures of the performance of MSCI because they adjust for the after-tax impact of significant one-time, unusual or non-recurring items as well as eliminate the impact of any transactions that do not directly affect what management considers to be our ongoing operating performance in the period. We also exclude the after-tax impact of the amortization of acquired intangible assets and amortization of the basis difference between the cost of the equity method investment and MSCI’s share of the net assets of the investee at historical carrying value, as these non-cash amounts are significantly impacted by the timing and size of each acquisition and therefore not meaningful to the ongoing operating performance in the period.

We believe that adjusted tax rate is useful to investors because it increases the comparability of period-to-period results by adjusting for the estimated net impact of Tax Reform.

We believe that free cash flow is useful to investors because it relates the operating cash flow of MSCI to the capital that is spent to continue and improve business operations, such as investment in MSCI’s existing products. Further, free cash flow indicates our ability to strengthen MSCI’s balance sheet, repay our debt obligations, pay cash dividends and repurchase shares of our common stock.

We believe organic operating revenue growth is a meaningful measure of the operating performance of MSCI because it adjusts for the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and excludes the impact of operating revenues attributable to acquired and divested businesses for the comparable prior year period, providing insight into our ongoing operating performance for the period(s) presented.

We believe that the non-GAAP financial measures presented in this earnings release facilitate meaningful period-to-period comparisons and provide a baseline for the evaluation of future results.

Adjusted EBITDA expenses, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, adjusted EPS, adjusted tax rate, Capex, free cash flow and organic operating revenue growth are not defined in the same manner by all companies and may not be comparable to similarly-titled non-GAAP financial measures of other companies. These measures can differ significantly from company to company depending on, among other things, long-term strategic decisions regarding capital structure, the tax jurisdictions in which companies operate and capital investments. Accordingly, the Company’s computation of these measures may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures computed by other companies.

Notes Regarding Adjusting for the Impact of Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Fluctuations

Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations reflect the difference between the current period results as reported compared to the current period results recalculated using the foreign currency exchange rates in effect for the comparable prior period. While operating revenues adjusted for the impact of foreign currency fluctuations includes asset-based fees that have been adjusted for the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, the underlying AUM, which is the primary component of asset-based fees, is not adjusted for foreign currency fluctuations. More than three-fifths of the AUM are invested in securities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, and accordingly, any such impact is excluded from the disclosed foreign currency-adjusted variances.

Table 2: Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

%

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

YoY %

 

In thousands, except per share data

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

Change

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

Change

 

Operating revenues

 

$

498,180

 

 

$

409,616

 

 

 

21.6

%

 

$

976,603

 

 

$

826,396

 

 

 

18.2

%

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of revenues

 

 

87,327

 

 

 

70,456

 

 

 

23.9

%

 

 

173,107

 

 

 

145,065

 

 

 

19.3

%

Selling and marketing

 

 

58,191

 

 

 

51,617

 

 

 

12.7

%

 

 

114,658

 

 

 

107,166

 

 

 

7.0

%

Research and development

 

 

27,531

 

 

 

22,534

 

 

 

22.2

%

 

 

52,393

 

 

 

49,096

 

 

 

6.7

%

General and administrative

 

 

30,182

 

 

 

28,309

 

 

 

6.6

%

 

 

64,910

 

 

 

59,142

 

 

 

9.8

%

Amortization of intangible assets

 

 

30,396

 

 

 

14,062

 

 

 

116.2

%

 

 

45,464

 

 

 

27,838

 

 

 

63.3

%

Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements

 

 

7,020

 

 

 

7,463

 

 

 

(5.9

%)

 

 

14,163

 

 

 

15,030

 

 

 

(5.8

%)

Total operating expenses(1)

 

 

240,647

 

 

 

194,441

 

 

 

23.8

%

 

 

464,695

 

 

 

403,337

 

 

 

15.2

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating income

 

 

257,533

 

 

 

215,175

 

 

 

19.7

%

 

 

511,908

 

 

 

423,059

 

 

 

21.0

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest income

 

 

(347

)

 

 

(771

)

 

 

(55.0

%)

 

 

(733

)

 

 

(4,254

)

 

 

(82.8

%)

Interest expense

 

 

39,557

 

 

 

41,227

 

 

 

(4.1

%)

 

 

77,141

 

 

 

81,458

 

 

 

(5.3

%)

Other expense (income)

 

 

22,628

 

 

 

35,552

 

 

 

(36.4

%)

 

 

23,777

 

 

 

43,839

 

 

 

(45.8

%)

Other expense (income), net

 

 

61,838

 

 

 

76,008

 

 

 

(18.6

%)

 

 

100,185

 

 

 

121,043

 

 

 

(17.2

%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before provision for income taxes

 

 

195,695

 

 

 

139,167

 

 

 

40.6

%

 

 

411,723

 

 

 

302,016

 

 

 

36.3

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provision for income taxes

 

 

30,272

 

 

 

24,044

 

 

 

25.9

%

 

 

49,481

 

 

 

38,768

 

 

 

27.6

%

Net income

 

$

165,423

 

 

$

115,123

 

 

 

43.7

%

 

$

362,242

 

 

$

263,248

 

 

 

37.6

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings per basic common share

 

$

2.01

 

 

$

1.38

 

 

 

45.7

%

 

$

4.39

 

 

$

3.12

 

 

 

40.7

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings per diluted common share

 

$

1.99

 

 

$

1.36

 

 

 

46.3

%

 

$

4.34

 

 

$

3.10

 

 

 

40.0

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average shares outstanding used in computing earnings per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

 

82,454

 

 

 

83,666

 

 

 

(1.4

%)

 

 

82,546

 

 

 

84,268

 

 

 

(2.0

%)

Diluted

 

 

83,295

 

 

 

84,349

 

 

 

(1.2

%)

 

 

83,393

 

 

 

84,948

 

 

 

(1.8

%)

(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense of $13.2 million and $15.0 million for the three months ended Jun. 30, 2021 and Jun. 30, 2020, respectively. Includes stock-based compensation expense of $32.5 million and $31.3 million for the six months ended Jun. 30, 2021 and Jun. 30, 2020, respectively.

Table 3: Selected Balance Sheet Items (unaudited)

 

 

As of

 

 

June 30,

 

Dec. 31,

In thousands

 

2021

 

2020

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$1,972,002

 

$1,300,521

Accounts receivable, net of allowances

 

$488,570

 

$558,569

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred revenue

 

$662,168

 

$675,870

Long-term debt(1)

 

$3,963,622

 

$3,366,777

(1) Consists of gross long-term debt, net of deferred financing fees. Gross long-term debt was $4,000.0 million at Jun. 31, 2021 and $3,400.0 million at Dec. 31, 2020.

Table 4: Selected Cash Flow Items (unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

YoY %

 

In thousands

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

% Change

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

Change

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

$

225,057

 

 

$

262,616

 

 

 

(14.3

%)

 

$

440,514

 

 

$

375,386

 

 

 

17.3

%

Net cash used in investing activities

 

 

(11,961

)

 

 

(11,536

)

 

 

(3.7

%)

 

 

(22,321

)

 

 

(213,174

)

 

 

89.5

%

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

 

 

11,316

 

 

 

65,030

 

 

 

(82.6

%)

 

 

256,858

 

 

 

(275,051

)

 

 

193.4

%

Effect of exchange rate changes

 

 

443

 

 

 

2,011

 

 

 

(78.0

%)

 

 

(3,570

)

 

 

(8,751

)

 

 

59.2

%

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

 

$

224,855

 

 

$

318,121

 

 

 

(29.3

%)

 

$

671,481

 

 

$

(121,590

)

 

n/m

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

n/m: not meaningful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 5: Operating Results by Segment and Revenue Type (unaudited)

Index

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

YoY %

 

In thousands

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

% Change

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

Change

 

Operating revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recurring subscriptions

 

$

160,061

 

 

$

145,404

 

 

 

10.1

%

 

$

315,178

 

 

$

285,244

 

 

 

10.5

%

Asset-based fees

 

 

136,142

 

 

 

88,075

 

 

 

54.6

%

 

 

262,848

 

 

 

188,271

 

 

 

39.6

%

Non-recurring

 

 

9,760

 

 

 

9,429

 

 

 

3.5

%

 

 

20,428

 

 

 

18,649

 

 

 

9.5

%

Total operating revenues

 

 

305,963

 

 

 

242,908

 

 

 

26.0

%

 

 

598,454

 

 

 

492,164

 

 

 

21.6

%

Adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

 

72,495

 

 

 

59,652

 

 

 

21.5

%

 

 

145,107

 

 

 

125,321

 

 

 

15.8

%

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

233,468

 

 

$

183,256

 

 

 

27.4

%

 

$

453,347

 

 

$

366,843

 

 

 

23.6

%

Adjusted EBITDA margin %

 

 

76.3

%

 

 

75.4

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

75.8

%

 

 

74.5

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Analytics

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

YoY %

 

In thousands

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

% Change

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

Change

 

Operating revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recurring subscriptions

 

$

133,368

 

 

$

126,189

 

 

 

5.7

%

 

$

265,040

 

 

$

250,254

 

 

 

5.9

%

Non-recurring

 

 

2,534

 

 

 

1,374

 

 

 

84.4

%

 

 

4,879

 

 

 

2,817

 

 

 

73.2

%

Total operating revenues

 

 

135,902

 

 

 

127,563

 

 

 

6.5

%

 

 

269,919

 

 

 

253,071

 

 

 

6.7

%

Adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

 

86,088

 

 

 

81,396

 

 

 

5.8

%

 

 

174,374

 

 

 

170,587

 

 

 

2.2

%

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

49,814

 

 

$

46,167

 

 

 

7.9

%

 

$

95,545

 

 

$

82,484

 

 

 

15.8

%

Adjusted EBITDA margin %

 

 

36.7

%

 

 

36.2

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

35.4

%

 

 

32.6

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ESG and Climate

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

YoY %

 

In thousands

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

% Change

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

Change

 

Operating revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recurring subscriptions

 

$

38,567

 

 

$

25,908

 

 

 

48.9

%

 

$

72,707

 

 

$

50,809

 

 

 

43.1

%

Non-recurring

 

 

741

 

 

 

394

 

 

 

88.1

%

 

 

1,351

 

 

 

726

 

 

 

86.1

%

Total operating revenues

 

 

39,308

 

 

 

26,302

 

 

 

49.4

%

 

 

74,058

 

 

 

51,535

 

 

 

43.7

%

Adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

 

33,588

 

 

 

20,803

 

 

 

61.5

%

 

 

63,293

 

 

 

42,410

 

 

 

49.2

%

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

5,720

 

 

$

5,499

 

 

 

4.0

%

 

$

10,765

 

 

$

9,125

 

 

 

18.0

%

Adjusted EBITDA margin %

 

 

14.6

%

 

 

20.9

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

14.5

%

 

 

17.7

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All Other - Private Assets

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

YoY %

 

In thousands

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

% Change

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

Change

 

Operating revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recurring subscriptions

 

$

16,134

 

 

$

12,383

 

 

 

30.3

%

 

$

32,937

 

 

$

28,002

 

 

 

17.6

%

Non-recurring

 

 

873

 

 

 

460

 

 

 

89.8

%

 

 

1,235

 

 

 

1,624

 

 

 

(24.0

%)

Total operating revenues

 

 

17,007

 

 

 

12,843

 

 

 

32.4

%

 

 

34,172

 

 

 

29,626

 

 

 

15.3

%

Adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

 

11,060

 

 

 

11,065

 

 

 

%

 

 

22,294

 

 

 

22,151

 

 

 

0.6

%

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

5,947

 

 

$

1,778

 

 

 

234.5

%

 

$

11,878

 

 

$

7,475

 

 

 

58.9

%

Adjusted EBITDA margin %

 

 

35.0

%

 

 

13.8

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

34.8

%

 

 

25.2

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consolidated

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

YoY %

 

In thousands

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

% Change

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

Change

 

Operating revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recurring subscriptions

 

$

348,130

 

 

$

309,884

 

 

 

12.3

%

 

$

685,862

 

 

$

614,309

 

 

 

11.6

%

Asset-based fees

 

 

136,142

 

 

 

88,075

 

 

 

54.6

%

 

 

262,848

 

 

 

188,271

 

 

 

39.6

%

Non-recurring

 

 

13,908

 

 

 

11,657

 

 

 

19.3

%

 

 

27,893

 

 

 

23,816

 

 

 

17.1

%

Operating revenues total

 

 

498,180

 

 

 

409,616

 

 

 

21.6

%

 

 

976,603

 

 

 

826,396

 

 

 

18.2

%

Adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

 

203,231

 

 

 

172,916

 

 

 

17.5

%

 

 

405,068

 

 

 

360,469

 

 

 

12.4

%

Adjusted EBITDA

 

$

294,949

 

 

$

236,700

 

 

 

24.6

%

 

$

571,535

 

 

$

465,927

 

 

 

22.7

%

Adjusted EBITDA margin %

 

 

59.2

%

 

 

57.8

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

58.5

%

 

 

56.4

%

 

 

 

 

Operating margin %

 

 

51.7

%

 

 

52.5

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

52.4

%

 

 

51.2

%

 

 

 

 

Table 6: Sales and Retention Rate by Segment (unaudited)(1)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

In thousands

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Index

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New recurring subscription sales

 

$

25,635

 

 

$

20,276

 

 

$

46,491

 

 

$

39,330

 

Subscription cancellations

 

 

(6,791

)

 

 

(7,423

)

 

$

(11,989

)

 

 

(12,539

)

Net new recurring subscription sales

 

$

18,844

 

 

$

12,853

 

 

$

34,502

 

 

$

26,791

 

Non-recurring sales

 

$

10,769

 

 

$

10,450

 

 

$

21,974

 

 

$

20,733

 

Total gross sales

 

$

36,404

 

 

$

30,726

 

 

$

68,465

 

 

$

60,063

 

Total Index net sales

 

$

29,613

 

 

$

23,303

 

 

$

56,476

 

 

$

47,524

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Index Retention Rate

 

 

95.6

%

 

 

94.7

%

 

 

96.1

%

 

 

95.5

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Analytics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New recurring subscription sales

 

$

16,282

 

 

$

14,979

 

 

$

28,492

 

 

$

26,197

 

Subscription cancellations

 

 

(10,096

)

 

 

(10,553

)

 

$

(15,975

)

 

 

(18,797

)

Net new recurring subscription sales

 

$

6,186

 

 

$

4,426

 

 

$

12,517

 

 

$

7,400

 

Non-recurring sales

 

$

2,773

 

 

$

1,659

 

 

$

5,746

 

 

$

4,924

 

Total gross sales

 

$

19,055

 

 

$

16,638

 

 

$

34,238

 

 

$

31,121

 

Total Analytics net sales

 

$

8,959

 

 

$

6,085

 

 

$

18,263

 

 

$

12,324

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Analytics Retention Rate

 

 

92.7

%

 

 

92.0

%

 

 

94.2

%

 

 

92.9

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ESG and Climate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New recurring subscription sales

 

$

17,756

 

 

$

11,202

 

 

$

29,396

 

 

$

18,196

 

Subscription cancellations

 

 

(1,246

)

 

 

(1,755

)

 

$

(2,298

)

 

 

(3,258

)

Net new recurring subscription sales

 

$

16,510

 

 

$

9,447

 

 

$

27,098

 

 

$

14,938

 

Non-recurring sales

 

$

1,140

 

 

$

416

 

 

$

1,837

 

 

$

567

 

Total gross sales

 

$

18,896

 

 

$

11,618

 

 

$

31,233

 

 

$

18,763

 

Total ESG and Climate net sales

 

$

17,650

 

 

$

9,863

 

 

$

28,935

 

 

$

15,505

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ESG and Climate Retention Rate

 

 

96.4

%

 

 

93.1

%

 

 

96.7

%

 

 

93.6

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All Other - Private Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New recurring subscription sales

 

$

1,860

 

 

$

1,146

 

 

$

3,544

 

 

$

2,321

 

Subscription cancellations

 

 

(887

)

 

 

(488

)

 

$

(1,585

)

 

 

(1,038

)

Net new recurring subscription sales

 

$

973

 

 

$

658

 

 

$

1,959

 

 

$

1,283

 

Non-recurring sales

 

$

185

 

 

$

158

 

 

$

1,071

 

 

$

1,038

 

Total gross sales

 

$

2,045

 

 

$

1,304

 

 

$

4,615

 

 

$

3,359

 

Total All Other - Private Assets net sales

 

$

1,158

 

 

$

816

 

 

$

3,030

 

 

$

2,321

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All Other - Private Assets Retention Rate

 

 

93.7

%

 

 

96.2

%

 

 

94.4

%

 

 

95.9

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consolidated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New recurring subscription sales

 

$

61,533

 

 

$

47,603

 

 

$

107,923

 

 

$

86,044

 

Subscription cancellations

 

 

(19,020

)

 

 

(20,219

)

 

 

(31,847

)

 

 

(35,632

)

Net new recurring subscription sales

 

$

42,513

 

 

$

27,384

 

 

$

76,076

 

 

$

50,412

 

Non-recurring sales

 

$

14,867

 

 

$

12,683

 

 

$

30,628

 

 

$

27,262

 

Total gross sales

 

$

76,400

 

 

$

60,286

 

 

$

138,551

 

 

$

113,306

 

Total net sales

 

$

57,380

 

 

$

40,067

 

 

$

106,704

 

 

$

77,674

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Retention Rate

 

 

94.4

%

 

 

93.5

%

 

 

95.3

%

 

 

94.2

%

(1) See "Notes Regarding the Use of Operating Metrics" for details regarding the definition of new recurring subscription sales, subscription cancellations, net new recurring subscription sales, non-recurring sales, total gross sales, total net sales and Retention Rate.

Table 7: AUM in ETFs Linked to MSCI Equity Indexes (unaudited)(1)(2)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

Mar. 31,

 

 

Dec. 31,

 

 

Sep. 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

In billions

 

2021

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

2020

 

 

2020

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Beginning Period AUM in ETFs linked to MSCI equity indexes

 

$

1,209.6

 

 

$

1,103.6

 

 

$

908.9

 

 

$

825.4

 

 

$

709.5

 

 

$

1,103.6

 

 

$

934.4

 

Market Appreciation/(Depreciation)

 

 

73.7

 

 

 

43.2

 

 

 

135.7

 

 

 

57.0

 

 

 

117.4

 

 

 

116.9

 

 

 

(99.1

)

Cash Inflows

 

 

52.9

 

 

 

62.8

 

 

 

59.0

 

 

 

26.5

 

 

 

(1.5

)

 

 

115.7

 

 

 

(9.9

)

Period-End AUM in ETFs linked to MSCI equity indexes

 

$

1,336.2

 

 

$

1,209.6

 

 

$

1,103.6

 

 

$

908.9

 

 

$

825.4

 

 

$

1,336.2

 

 

$

825.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Period Average AUM in ETFs linked to MSCI equity indexes

 

$

1,292.4

 

 

$

1,169.2

 

 

$

999.2

 

 

$

893.4

 

 

$

776.9

 

 

$

1,230.8

 

 

$

827.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Period-End Basis Point Fee(3)

 

 

2.58

 

 

 

2.61

 

 

 

2.67

 

 

 

2.67

 

 

 

2.67

 

 

 

2.58

 

 

 

2.67

 

(1) The historical values of the AUM in ETFs linked to our equity indexes as of the last day of the month and the monthly average balance can be found under the link “AUM in ETFs Linked to MSCI Equity Indexes” on our Investor Relations homepage at http://ir.msci.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Press Release or any other report filed with the SEC. The AUM in ETFs also includes AUM in Exchange Traded Notes, the value of which is less than 1.0% of the AUM amounts presented.

(2) The value of AUM in ETFs linked to MSCI equity indexes is calculated by multiplying the equity ETFs net asset value by the number of shares outstanding.

(3) Based on period-end Run Rate for ETFs linked to MSCI equity indexes using period-end AUM.

Table 8: Run Rate by Segment and Type (unaudited)(1)

 

 

As of

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

 

 

In thousands

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

% Change

 

Index

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recurring subscriptions

 

$

653,448

 

 

$

586,846

 

 

 

11.3

%

Asset-based fees

 

 

539,984

 

 

 

362,049

 

 

 

49.1

%

Index Run Rate

 

 

1,193,432

 

 

 

948,895

 

 

 

25.8

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Analytics Run Rate

 

 

563,938

 

 

 

534,039

 

 

 

5.6

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ESG and Climate Run Rate

 

 

164,092

 

 

 

113,662

 

 

 

44.4

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All Other - Private Assets Run Rate

 

 

58,088

 

 

 

50,715

 

 

 

14.5

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Run Rate

 

$

1,979,550

 

 

$

1,647,311

 

 

 

20.2

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total recurring subscriptions

 

$

1,439,566

 

 

$

1,285,262

 

 

 

12.0

%

Total asset-based fees

 

 

539,984

 

 

 

362,049

 

 

 

49.1

%

Total Run Rate

 

$

1,979,550

 

 

$

1,647,311

 

 

 

20.2

%

(1) See "Notes Regarding the Use of Operating Metrics" for details regarding the definition of Run Rate.

Table 9: Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income (unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

In thousands

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Index adjusted EBITDA

 

$

233,468

 

 

$

183,256

 

 

$

453,347

 

 

$

366,843

 

Analytics adjusted EBITDA

 

 

49,814

 

 

 

46,167

 

 

 

95,545

 

 

 

82,484

 

ESG and Climate adjusted EBITDA

 

 

5,720

 

 

 

5,499

 

 

 

10,765

 

 

 

9,125

 

All Other - Private Assets adjusted EBITDA

 

 

5,947

 

 

 

1,778

 

 

 

11,878

 

 

 

7,475

 

Consolidated adjusted EBITDA

 

 

294,949

 

 

 

236,700

 

 

 

571,535

 

 

 

465,927

 

Amortization of intangible assets

 

 

30,396

 

 

 

14,062

 

 

 

45,464

 

 

 

27,838

 

Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements

 

 

7,020

 

 

 

7,463

 

 

 

14,163

 

 

 

15,030

 

Operating income

 

 

257,533

 

 

 

215,175

 

 

 

511,908

 

 

 

423,059

 

Other expense (income), net

 

 

61,838

 

 

 

76,008

 

 

 

100,185

 

 

 

121,043

 

Provision for income taxes

 

 

30,272

 

 

 

24,044

 

 

 

49,481

 

 

 

38,768

 

Net income

 

$

165,423

 

 

$

115,123

 

 

$

362,242

 

 

$

263,248

 

Table 10: Reconciliation of Net Income and Diluted EPS to Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS (unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

In thousands, except per share data

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Net income

 

$

165,423

 

 

$

115,123

 

 

$

362,242

 

 

$

263,248

 

Plus: Amortization of acquired intangible assets and equity method investment basis difference

 

 

9,565

 

 

 

9,592

 

 

 

19,123

 

 

 

18,370

 

Plus: Debt extinguishment costs associated with the 2025 and 2026 Senior Notes Redemptions

 

 

21,792

 

 

 

34,964

 

 

 

21,792

 

 

 

44,930

 

Plus: Write-off of internally developed capitalized software

 

 

16,013

 

 

 

 

 

 

16,013

 

 

 

 

Less: Tax Reform adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(759

)

Less: Income tax effect

 

 

(8,973

)

 

 

(10,555

)

 

 

(9,823

)

 

 

(13,951

)

Adjusted net income

 

$

203,820

 

 

$

149,124

 

 

$

409,347

 

 

$

311,838

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted EPS

 

$

1.99

 

 

$

1.36

 

 

$

4.34

 

 

$

3.10

 

Plus: Amortization of acquired intangible assets and equity method investment basis difference

 

 

0.11

 

 

 

0.11

 

 

 

0.23

 

 

 

0.22

 

Plus: Debt extinguishment costs associated with the 2025 and 2026 Senior Notes Redemptions

 

 

0.26

 

 

 

0.41

 

 

 

0.26

 

 

 

0.53

 

Plus: Write-off of internally developed capitalized software

 

 

0.19

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.19

 

 

 

 

Less: Tax Reform adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(0.01

)

Less: Income tax effect

 

 

(0.10

)

 

 

(0.11

)

 

 

(0.11

)

 

 

(0.17

)

Adjusted EPS

 

$

2.45

 

 

$

1.77

 

 

$

4.91

 

 

$

3.67

 

Table 11: Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA Expenses to Operating Expenses (unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

Full-Year

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

2021

In thousands

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

Outlook(1)

Index adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

$

72,495

 

 

$

59,652

 

 

$

145,107

 

 

$

125,321

 

 

 

Analytics adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

 

86,088

 

 

 

81,396

 

 

 

174,374

 

 

 

170,587

 

 

 

ESG and Climate adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

 

33,588

 

 

 

20,803

 

 

 

63,293

 

 

 

42,410

 

 

 

All Other - Private Assets adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

 

11,060

 

 

 

11,065

 

 

 

22,294

 

 

 

22,151

 

 

 

Consolidated adjusted EBITDA expenses

 

 

203,231

 

 

 

172,916

 

 

 

405,068

 

 

 

360,469

 

 

$820,000 - $840,000

Amortization of intangible assets

 

 

30,396

 

 

 

14,062

 

 

 

45,464

 

 

 

27,838

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements

 

 

7,020

 

 

 

7,463

 

 

 

14,163

 

 

 

15,030

 

 

~$100,000

Total operating expenses

 

$

240,647

 

 

$

194,441

 

 

$

464,695

 

 

$

403,337

 

 

$920,000 - $940,000

(1) We have not provided a full line-item reconciliation for adjusted EBITDA expenses to total operating expenses for this future period because we do not provide guidance on the individual reconciling items between total operating expenses and adjusted EBITDA expenses.

Table 12: Reconciliation of Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Free Cash Flow (unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

Full-Year

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

2021

In thousands

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

Outlook(1)

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

$

225,057

 

 

$

262,616

 

 

$

440,514

 

 

$

375,386

 

 

$900,000 - $940,000

Capital expenditures

 

 

(1,809

)

 

 

(3,984

)

 

 

(2,473

)

 

 

(7,597

)

 

 

Capitalized software development costs

 

 

(9,241

)

 

 

(7,558

)

 

 

(18,937

)

 

 

(14,761

)

 

 

Capex

 

 

(11,050

)

 

 

(11,542

)

 

 

(21,410

)

 

 

(22,358

)

 

($60,000 - $50,000)

Free cash flow

 

$

214,007

 

 

$

251,074

 

 

$

419,104

 

 

$

353,028

 

 

$840,000 - $890,000

(1) We have not provided a line-item reconciliation for free cash flow to net cash from operating activities for this future period because we do not provide guidance on the individual reconciling items between net cash from operating activities and free cash flow.

Table 13: Reconciliation of Effective Tax Rate to Adjusted Tax Rate (unaudited)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

 

2021

 

2020

 

2021

 

2020

Effective tax rate

 

15.5%

 

17.3%

 

12.0%

 

12.8%

Tax Reform impact on effective tax rate

 

—%

 

—%

 

—%

 

0.3%

Adjusted tax rate

 

15.5%

 

17.3%

 

12.0%

 

13.1%

Table 14: Second Quarter 2021 Reconciliation of Operating Revenue Growth to Organic Operating Revenue Growth (unaudited)

 

Comparison of the Three Months Ended June 30, 2021 and 2020

 

Total

 

Recurring Subscription

 

Asset-Based Fees

 

Non-Recurring Revenues

Index

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

Operating revenue growth

26.0%

 

10.1%

 

54.6%

 

3.5%

Impact of acquisitions and divestitures

—%

 

—%

 

—%

 

—%

Impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations

(0.1%)

 

—%

 

(0.1%)

 

—%

Organic operating revenue growth

25.9%

 

10.1%

 

54.5%

 

3.5%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

Recurring Subscription

 

Asset-Based Fees

 

Non-Recurring Revenues

Analytics

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

Operating revenue growth

6.5%

 

5.7%

 

—%

 

84.4%

Impact of acquisitions and divestitures

—%

 

—%

 

—%

 

—%

Impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations

0.1%

 

0.1%

 

—%

 

(1.2%)

Organic operating revenue growth

6.6%

 

5.8%

 

—%

 

83.2%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

Recurring Subscription

 

Asset-Based Fees

 

Non-Recurring Revenues

ESG and Climate

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

Operating revenue growth

49.4%

 

48.9%

 

—%

 

88.1%

Impact of acquisitions and divestures

—%

 

—%

 

—%

 

—%

Impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations

(10.5%)

 

(10.6%)

 

—%

 

(7.9%)

Organic operating revenue growth

38.9%

 

38.3%

 

—%

 

80.2%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

Recurring Subscription

 

Asset-Based Fees

 

Non-Recurring Revenues

All Other - Private Assets

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

Operating revenue growth

32.4%

 

30.3%

 

—%

 

89.8%

Impact of acquisitions and divestures

—%

 

—%

 

—%

 

—%

Impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations

(12.1%)

 

(12.1%)

 

—%

 

(13.3%)

Organic operating revenue growth

20.3%

 

18.2%

 

—%

 

76.5%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

Recurring Subscription

 

Asset-Based Fees

 

Non-Recurring Revenues

Consolidated

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

Operating revenue growth

21.6%

 

12.3%

 

54.6%

 

19.3%

Impact of acquisitions and divestitures

—%

 

—%

 

—%

 

—%

Impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations

(1.0%)

 

(1.3%)

 

(0.1%)

 

(0.9%)

Organic operating revenue growth

20.6%

 

11.0%

 

54.5%

 

18.4%

Table 15: Six Months 2021 Reconciliation of Operating Revenue Growth to Organic Operating Revenue Growth (unaudited)

 

Comparison of the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 and 2020

 

Total

 

Recurring Subscription

 

Asset-Based Fees

 

Non-Recurring Revenues

Index

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

Operating revenue growth

21.6%

 

10.5%

 

39.6%

 

9.5%

Impact of acquisitions and divestitures

—%

 

—%

 

—%

 

—%

Impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations

(0.1%)

 

—%

 

(0.1%)

 

—%

Organic operating revenue growth

21.5%

 

10.5%

 

39.5%

 

9.5%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

Recurring Subscription

 

Asset-Based Fees

 

Non-Recurring Revenues

Analytics

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

Operating revenue growth

6.7%

 

5.9%

 

—%

 

73.2%

Impact of acquisitions and divestitures

—%

 

—%

 

—%

 

—%

Impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations

(0.1%)

 

—%

 

—%

 

(1.0%)

Organic operating revenue growth

6.6%

 

5.9%

 

—%

 

72.2%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

Recurring Subscription

 

Asset-Based Fees

 

Non-Recurring Revenues

ESG and Climate

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

Operating revenue growth

43.7%

 

43.1%

 

—%

 

86.1%

Impact of acquisitions and divestures

—%

 

—%

 

—%

 

—%

Impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations

(8.3%)

 

(8.3%)

 

—%

 

(7.2%)

Organic operating revenue growth

35.4%

 

34.8%

 

—%

 

78.9%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

Recurring Subscription

 

Asset-Based Fees

 

Non-Recurring Revenues

All Other - Private Assets

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

Operating revenue growth

15.3%

 

17.6%

 

—%

 

(24.0%)

Impact of acquisitions and divestures

—%

 

—%

 

—%

 

—%

Impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations

(9.7%)

 

(10.0%)

 

—%

 

(5.0%)

Organic operating revenue growth

5.6%

 

7.6%

 

—%

 

(29.0%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

Recurring Subscription

 

Asset-Based Fees

 

Non-Recurring Revenues

Consolidated

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

 

Change

Percentage

Operating revenue growth

18.2%

 

11.6%

 

39.6%

 

17.1%

Impact of acquisitions and divestitures

—%

 

—%

 

—%

 

—%

Impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations

(0.9%)

 

(1.1%)

 

(0.1%)

 

(0.7%)

Organic operating revenue growth

17.3%

 

10.5%

 

39.5%

 

16.4%

 

Contacts

MSCI Inc.

Investor Inquiries

salli.schwartz@msci.com

Salli Schwartz + 1 646 662 9343

Media Inquiries

PR@msci.com

Sam Wang +1 212 804 5244

Melanie Blanco +1 212 981 1049

Rachel Lai +852 2844 9315

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