Should NYSE’s Expanded MSCI Options Role and Crypto Exposure Decisions Require Action From MSCI (MSCI) Investors?

The New York Stock Exchange, part of Intercontinental Exchange, announced in early 2026 that it will become the U.S. options listings venue for benchmark MSCI indexes, while MSCI separately confirmed it will keep digital asset treasury companies in its Global Investable Market Indexes for the February 2026 review. Together, these moves reinforce the central role of MSCI benchmarks in global risk management, spanning both traditional equity exposures and companies tied to digital assets. We’ll now examine how the expanded NYSE options partnership could influence MSCI’s recurring, index-linked revenue narrative and product ecosystem.

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MSCI Investment Narrative Recap

To own MSCI, you need to believe that its indexes and data will stay embedded in how global investors manage risk and allocate capital, even as client budgets and competition evolve. The NYSE options listing deal and the decision to retain digital asset treasury firms in key benchmarks look incremental rather than transformative in the near term, but they do gently support the core catalyst of index-linked fee growth while leaving existing risks around fee pressure and client retention intact.

Of the recent announcements, the NYSE agreement to host U.S. options on flagship MSCI indexes is most relevant here, because it broadens the toolkit built around MSCI benchmarks without changing the underlying economics overnight. Investors still need to weigh this against longer term concerns about fee compression in passive products and the possibility that slower asset-based fee growth could matter more than incremental derivatives volumes if…

Read the full narrative on MSCI (it’s free!)

MSCI’s narrative projects $3.8 billion revenue and $1.6 billion earnings by 2028. This requires 8.5% yearly revenue growth and an earnings increase of about $0.4 billion from $1.2 billion.

Uncover how MSCI’s forecasts yield a $657.56 fair value, a 14% upside to its current price.

Exploring Other PerspectivesMSCI 1-Year Stock Price Chart

Seven fair value estimates from the Simply Wall St Community span roughly US$527 to US$686 per share, underscoring how far apart individual views can be. You should weigh those opinions against the risk that gradual fee compression on passive products could eventually matter more to MSCI’s earnings power than headline index or derivatives partnerships.

Explore 7 other fair value estimates on MSCI – why the stock might be worth as much as 19% more than the current price!

Build Your Own MSCI Narrative

Disagree with existing narratives? Create your own in under 3 minutes – extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd.

A great starting point for your MSCI research is our analysis highlighting 2 key rewards and 1 important warning sign that could impact your investment decision.Our free MSCI research report provides a comprehensive fundamental analysis summarized in a single visual – the Snowflake – making it easy to evaluate MSCI’s overall financial health at a glance.No Opportunity In MSCI?

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data
and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your
financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data.
Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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