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 that it will consult with the investment community on a proposal to construct MSCI Global Socially Responsible Indices. The proposed indices aim to support the benchmarking and other index related needs of investors who seek to invest in accordance with their values such as religious beliefs, moral standards or ethical views. The proposed indices will exclude companies that are inconsistent with specific values based criteria and will target companies with high ESG ratings relative to their sector peers.
MSCI welcomes feedback from the investment community and plans to contact some market participants directly to solicit feedback. In particular, MSCI will seek feedback on the objectives as well as the design of the proposed MSCI Global Socially Responsible Indices.
MSCI will announce its final decision resulting from the consultation by March 4, 2011. Please note that this consultation may or may not lead to the creation of the MSCI Global Socially Responsible Indices as proposed in the consultation.