MSCI Indices 2012 Performance Results

MSCI Indices 2012 Performance Results

Global Equity Markets Rebound in 2012—Overcoming 2011 Losses

• Global markets posted significant positive returns, largely in the double digits

• Emerging Markets and the EMU showed strong relative performance

• Small caps outpaced large and mid caps across most regions and countries

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MSCI Inc. (NYS: MSCI) , a leading provider of investment decision support tools worldwide, today published the year-to-date (YTD) 2012 performance of its MSCI Indices, revealing a vigorous rebound in global equity markets, following the global slowdown experienced in 2011.

Major financial markets worldwide showed healthy double digit returns across all size segments for 2012. The MSCI ACWI Investable Market Index (IMI), comprised of close to 9,000 large, mid and small cap securities across 24 Developed and 21 Emerging Markets countries, for example, delivered a 2012 YTD return of 13.45% versus a loss of -9.87% in 2011.

The MSCI ACWI Small Cap Index bested all other MSCI ACWI index capitalization segments for 2012 YTD, with a return of 15.17% versus returns of 14.21% and 12.99% over the period for the MSCI ACWI Mid Cap and Large Cap Indices, respectively.

MSCI ACWI IMI/Financials outperformed all other global sectors, returning 24.13% for 2012 YTD. Laggard sectors included the MSCI ACWI IMI/Telecommunications Services and MSCI ACWI IMI/Utilities which returned 4.29% and -0.71% for the period.

Developed Markets

Nearly the entire range of country and regional MSCI Developed Markets (DM) Indices delivered strong positive returns for 2012 YTD. The two main MSCI DM flagship indices—the MSCI World Index and MSCI EAFE—returned 13.00% and 13.96%, respectively, while even higher returns prevailed in many European countries and regions. The MSCI EMU and Europe Indices, for example, delivered 2012 YTD returns of 18.34% and 15.87%. The highest DM country performers were all European: the MSCI Belgium Index was at the top, returning 37.58% for 2012 YTD, followed by the MSCI Denmark and Germany Indices, with returns of 30.32% and 28.12%, respectively. The only three DM countries with negative returns for 2012 YTD were the MSCI Spain, Greece and Israel Indices which produced losses of -1.90%, -2.53% and -6.95%, respectively.

The MSCI DM Small Cap Indices outperformed their mid and large cap counterparts across the majority of countries and regions for 2012 YTD. The MSCI Europe Small Cap Index returned 25.76% (nearly 10% more than the MSCI Europe Index), for example, while the MSCI World Small Cap Index produced a return of 14.75% over the period.

Emerging Markets

The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Indices posted a slightly wider range of positive results relative to the Developed Markets. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index returned 14.52% for 2012 YTD, which was somewhat below average in comparison to its constituent regions and countries. The top performing regionwas the MSCI EM Eastern Europe ex Russia Index which provided a 25.62% return for 2012 YTD,followed by the MSCI EM Europe Index with a 20.46% return for the period. The three stand-out performers among the Emerging Markets countries were the MSCI Turkey, Egypt and Philippines Indices, with2012 YTD returns of 60.59%, 46.90% and 43.17%, respectively. The MSCI Czech Republic, Brazil and Morocco Indices were the only Emerging Markets countries to deliver negative 2012 YTD results, with returns of -3.49%, -4.37% and -16.15%.

Reinforcing the global small cap dominance trend, the MSCI EM Small Cap Index outperformed its large- and mid-cap sibling (the MSCI EM Index), returning 18.56% for 2012 YTD.

Frontier Markets

The MSCI Frontier Markets Indices produced the most widely dispersed results for 2012 YTD. The MSCI Frontier Markets Index returned 4.60% over the period. The MSCI Frontier Markets Africa Index was the top-performing regional Frontier Markets index, delivering a 2012 YTD return of 44.88%. The top three single country Frontier Markets index performers for 2012 YTD included the MSCI Kenya, Nigeria and Estonia Indices which posted returns of 54.16%, 52.82%, and 44.98%, respectively. More than half of the FM countries delivered negative 2012 YTD returns. The bottom performers were the MSCI Bulgaria, Argentina, and Ukraine Indices with 2012 YTD returns of -32.78%, -37.49% and -49.33%, respectively.

Historical index levels for the full range of MSCI Indices are available at www.msci.com.

¹ All year-to-date (YTD) 2012 index performance data is based on price index levels in USD for the periods 1 January 2012 - 27 December 2012.

MSCI Indices Performance Table—YTD 2012

²The MSCI Zhong Hua Index captures large and mid cap representation across China securities available to non-domestic investors and includes: China H shares, B shares, Red chips and P chips, together with China securities listed on the Hong Kong exchange.

About MSCI

MSCI Inc. is a leading provider of investment decision support tools to investors globally, including asset managers, banks, hedge funds and pension funds. MSCI products and services include indices, portfolio risk and performance analytics, and governance tools.

The company's flagship product offerings are: the MSCI indices with close to USD 7 trillion estimated to be benchmarked to them on a worldwide basis¹; Barra multi-asset class factor models, portfolio risk and performance analytics; RiskMetrics multi-asset class market and credit risk analytics; IPD real estate information, indices and analytics; MSCI ESG (environmental, social and governance) Research screening, analysis and ratings; ISS governance research and outsourced proxy voting and reporting services; FEA valuation models and risk management software for the energy and commodities markets; and CFRA forensic accounting risk research, legal/regulatory risk assessment, and due‐diligence. MSCI is headquartered in New York, with research and commercial offices around the world.

¹As of March 31, 2012, as published by eVestment, Lipper and Bloomberg in September, 2012.

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