简体中文 | 繁體中文 | English

Results of the MSCI 2019 Market Classification Review

MSCI will reclassify the MSCI Kuwait Index to Emerging Markets status, subject to availability of omnibus account structures and same National Investor Number (NIN) cross trades for international investors

MSCI to consult on the potential reclassification of the MSCI Iceland Index to Frontier Markets status

2019-06-27 14:26
  • zh_cn
  • zh_hant
  • en

LONDON--()--MSCI Inc. (NYSE:MSCI), a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community, announces today that it will reclassify the MSCI Kuwait Index to Emerging Markets status, subject to omnibus account structures and same National Investor Number (NIN) cross trades being made available for international institutional investors before the end of November 2019. MSCI will communicate its final decision by December 31, 2019.

“Kuwait’s Market Development Project has set the path for the seamless implementation of numerous regulatory and operational enhancements in the Kuwaiti equity market. These enhancements have significantly increased the accessibility level of the Kuwaiti equity market for international institutional investors and resulted in broad positive feedback from these investors on our reclassification proposal,” said Sebastien Lieblich, Global Head of Equity Solutions and Chairman of the MSCI Equity Index Committee.

Mr. Lieblich added, “During the consultation, international institutional investors highlighted the criticality of omnibus account structures and same NIN cross trade capabilities to avoid frictions in their investment process. We welcome the Capital Market Authority’s public commitment to deliver these market features by November 2019. We will closely monitor their implementation before making the final decision.”

On June 12, 2019 the Capital Market Authority publicly announced that omnibus structures, as well as same NIN cross trading will be made available to international institutional investors no later than November 2019. Currently, only local licensed entities are allowed to trade using omnibus accounts and same NIN trading is available for only certain exempt ‘non-discretionary’ local accounts. Assuming the above-mentioned market features are delivered by November 2019, MSCI would include the MSCI Kuwait Index in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index in one step coinciding with the May 2020 Semi‐Annual Index Review. This would lead to an inclusion of nine stocks in the MSCI Emerging Market Index having a pro forma index weight of approximately 0.5%. The constituent list of the pro forma MSCI Kuwait Index as of April 17, 2019, based on the MSCI Emerging Markets Index thresholds, has been made available on https://www.msci.com/market-classification.

The implementation of Kuwait’s Market Development Project, started in 2017, has brought numerous enhancements to the infrastructure of the market that have significantly opened the domestic equity market to international institutional investors. Among these enhancements were the removal of foreign ownership restrictions on listed banks and simplification of requirements for investor registration. In addition, the settlement cycle in the Kuwaiti equity market moved to T+3 for both local and foreign investors, a new delivery versus payment (DvP) settlement provision was introduced and a proper failed trade management process was initiated. The Project is expected to continue with the planned introduction of a central clearing counterparty and availability of stock swaps, stock lending and short selling facilities, among other improvements. These enhancements have now been reflected in the MSCI 2019 Global Market Accessibility Review report available at https://www.msci.com/market-classification.

MSCI also announces today the launch of a consultation to potentially reclassify the MSCI Iceland Index from Standalone Markets to Frontier Markets status. MSCI welcomes feedback from market participants on this proposal prior to October 31, 2019 and will announce the results of this consultation on or before November 29, 2019.

Finally, MSCI is announcing today that, if the MSCI Peru Index falls short of the required three constituents for the Emerging Markets, it will immediately launch a consultation to potentially reclassify the MSCI Peru Index from Emerging Markets status to Frontier Markets status. The MSCI Peru Index currently includes the minimum of three constituents.

About MSCI

MSCI is a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community. With over 45 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.

This document and all of the information contained in it, including without limitation all text, data, graphs, charts (collectively, the “Information”) is the property of MSCI Inc. or its subsidiaries (collectively, “MSCI”), or MSCI’s licensors, direct or indirect suppliers or any third party involved in making or compiling any Information (collectively, with MSCI, the “Information Providers”) and is provided for informational purposes only. The Information may not be modified, reverse-engineered, reproduced or redisseminated in whole or in part without prior written permission from MSCI.

The Information may not be used to create derivative works or to verify or correct other data or information. For example (but without limitation), the Information may not be used to create indexes, databases, risk models, analytics, software, or in connection with the issuing, offering, sponsoring, managing or marketing of any securities, portfolios, financial products or other investment vehicles utilizing or based on, linked to, tracking or otherwise derived from the Information or any other MSCI data, information, products or services.

The user of the Information assumes the entire risk of any use it may make or permit to be made of the Information. NONE OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDERS MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION (OR THE RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE USE THEREOF), AND TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EACH INFORMATION PROVIDER EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, NON-INFRINGEMENT, COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE) WITH RESPECT TO ANY OF THE INFORMATION.

Without limiting any of the foregoing and to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall any Information Provider have any liability regarding any of the Information for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential (including lost profits) or any other damages even if notified of the possibility of such damages. The foregoing shall not exclude or limit any liability that may not by applicable law be excluded or limited, including without limitation (as applicable), any liability for death or personal injury to the extent that such injury results from the negligence or willful default of itself, its servants, agents or sub-contractors.

Information containing any historical information, data or analysis should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of any future performance, analysis, forecast or prediction. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

The Information should not be relied on and is not a substitute for the skill, judgment and experience of the user, its management, employees, advisors and/or clients when making investment and other business decisions. All Information is impersonal and not tailored to the needs of any person, entity or group of persons.

None of the Information constitutes an offer to sell (or a solicitation of an offer to buy), any security, financial product or other investment vehicle or any trading strategy.

It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Exposure to an asset class or trading strategy or other category represented by an index is only available through third party investable instruments (if any) based on that index. MSCI does not issue, sponsor, endorse, market, offer, review or otherwise express any opinion regarding any fund, ETF, derivative or other security, investment, financial product or trading strategy that is based on, linked to or seeks to provide an investment return related to the performance of any MSCI index (collectively, “Index Linked Investments”). MSCI makes no assurance that any Index Linked Investments will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. MSCI Inc. is not an investment adviser or fiduciary and MSCI makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in any Index Linked Investments.

Index returns do not represent the results of actual trading of investible assets/securities. MSCI maintains and calculates indexes, but does not manage actual assets. Index returns do not reflect payment of any sales charges or fees an investor may pay to purchase the securities underlying the index or Index Linked Investments. The imposition of these fees and charges would cause the performance of an Index Linked Investment to be different than the MSCI index performance.

The Information may contain back tested data. Back-tested performance is not actual performance, but is hypothetical. There are frequently material differences between back tested performance results and actual results subsequently achieved by any investment strategy.

Constituents of MSCI equity indexes are listed companies, which are included in or excluded from the indexes according to the application of the relevant index methodologies. Accordingly, constituents in MSCI equity indexes may include MSCI Inc., clients of MSCI or suppliers to MSCI. Inclusion of a security within an MSCI index is not a recommendation by MSCI to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it considered to be investment advice.

Data and information produced by various affiliates of MSCI Inc., including MSCI ESG Research LLC and Barra LLC, may be used in calculating certain MSCI indexes. More information can be found in the relevant index methodologies on www.msci.com.

MSCI receives compensation in connection with licensing its indexes to third parties. MSCI Inc.’s revenue includes fees based on assets in Index Linked Investments. Information can be found in MSCI Inc.’s company filings on the Investor Relations section of www.msci.com.

MSCI ESG Research LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and a subsidiary of MSCI Inc. Except with respect to any applicable products or services from MSCI ESG Research, neither MSCI nor any of its products or services recommends, endorses, approves or otherwise expresses any opinion regarding any issuer, securities, financial products or instruments or trading strategies and MSCI’s products or services are not intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make (or refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as such. Issuers mentioned or included in any MSCI ESG Research materials may include MSCI Inc., clients of MSCI or suppliers to MSCI, and may also purchase research or other products or services from MSCI ESG Research. MSCI ESG Research materials, including materials utilized in any MSCI ESG Indexes or other products, have not been submitted to, nor received approval from, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body.

Any use of or access to products, services or information of MSCI requires a license from MSCI. MSCI, Barra, RiskMetrics, IPD and other MSCI brands and product names are the trademarks, service marks, or registered trademarks of MSCI or its subsidiaries in the United States and other jurisdictions. The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) was developed by and is the exclusive property of MSCI and Standard & Poor’s. “Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)” is a service mark of MSCI and Standard & Poor’s.

MIFID2/MIFIR notice: MSCI ESG Research LLC does not distribute or act as an intermediary for financial instruments or structured deposits, nor does it deal on its own account, provide execution services for others or manage client accounts. No MSCI ESG Research product or service supports, promotes or is intended to support or promote any such activity. MSCI ESG Research is an independent provider of ESG data, reports and ratings based on published methodologies and available to clients on a subscription basis. We do not provide custom or one-off ratings or recommendations of securities or other financial instruments upon request.

Privacy notice: For information about how MSCI ESG Research LLC collects and uses personal data concerning officers and directors, please refer to our Privacy Notice at https://www.msci.com/privacy-pledge.

Contacts

Media Inquiries 
PR@msci.com 
Sam Wang +1 212 804 5244 
Melanie Blanco +1 212 981 1049 
Laura Hudson +44 20 7336 9653 

MSCI Global Client Service 
EMEA Client Service + 44 20 7618.2222 
Americas Client Service +1 888 588 4567 (toll free) 
Asia Pacific Client Service + 852 2844 9333