MSCI (MSCI) 10-Q 30 Oct 15 2015 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Oct. 22, 2015
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2015
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Trading Symbol	MSCI
Entity Registrant Name	MSCI Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	1,408,198
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		102,675,766

Condensed Consolidated Statemen

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 993,488	$ 508,799
Accounts receivable (net of allowances of $1,014 and $857 at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively)	208,239	178,717
Deferred taxes	14,098	22,209
Prepaid income taxes	33,741	29,180
Prepaid and other assets	36,791	30,553
Total current assets	1,286,357	769,458
Property, equipment and leasehold improvements (net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $111,367 and $92,808 at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively)	94,964	94,074
Goodwill	1,563,087	1,564,904
Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization of $407,041 and $372,209 at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively)	399,943	433,628
Other non-current assets	22,440	20,469
Total assets	3,366,791	2,882,533
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Accounts payable	1,806	2,835
Accrued compensation and related benefits	92,851	111,408
Other accrued liabilities	68,256	47,894
Deferred revenue	328,051	310,775
Total current liabilities	490,964	472,912
Long-term debt	1,578,849	788,358
Deferred taxes	123,011	137,838
Other non-current liabilities	54,862	50,592
Total liabilities	$ 2,247,686	$ 1,449,700
Commitments and Contingencies (see Note 8)
Shareholders' equity:
Preferred stock (par value $0.01; 100,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued)
Common stock (par value $0.01; 750,000,000 common shares authorized; 128,105,245 and 126,637,390 common shares issued and 104,934,561 and 112,072,469 common shares outstanding at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively)	$ 1,281	$ 1,266
Treasury shares, at cost (23,170,684 and 14,564,921 common shares held at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively)	(1,139,613)	(588,378)
Additional paid in capital	1,166,894	1,022,221
Retained earnings	1,121,858	1,022,695
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(31,315)	(24,971)
Total shareholders' equity	1,119,105	1,432,833
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ 3,366,791	$ 2,882,533

Condensed Consolidated Stateme3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, allowances	$ 1,014	$ 857
Property, equipment and leasehold improvements, accumulated depreciation and amortization	111,367	92,808
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization	$ 407,041	$ 372,209
Preferred stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	100,000,000	100,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Common stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	750,000,000	750,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	128,105,245	126,637,390
Common stock, shares outstanding	104,934,561	112,072,469
Treasury shares	23,170,684	14,564,921

Condensed Consolidated Stateme4

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Statement [Abstract]
Operating revenues	$ 268,771	$ 251,661	$ 802,120	$ 745,575
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenues	65,593	69,770	202,891	206,784
Selling and marketing	38,809	41,402	122,485	123,034
Research and development	15,548	19,021	59,544	53,860
General and administrative	19,960	19,516	62,417	57,448
Amortization of intangible assets	11,710	11,574	35,107	34,286
Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements	8,049	6,342	23,321	18,091
Total operating expenses	159,669	167,625	505,765	493,503
Operating income	109,102	84,036	296,355	252,072
Interest income	(285)	(277)	(674)	(625)
Interest expense	17,267	5,604	39,491	16,029
Other expense (income)	(6,922)	(1,287)	(6,580)	(942)
Other expense (income), net	10,060	4,040	32,237	14,462
Income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes	99,042	79,996	264,118	237,610
Provision for income taxes	34,644	28,272	94,079	81,937
Income from continuing operations	64,398	51,724	170,039	155,673
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		(10)	(5,797)	84,100
Net income	$ 64,398	$ 51,714	$ 164,242	$ 239,773
Earnings per basic common share:
Earnings per basic common share from continuing operations	$ 0.59	$ 0.44	$ 1.53	$ 1.33
Earnings per basic common share from discontinued operations			(0.05)	0.72
Earnings per basic common share	0.59	0.44	1.48	2.05
Earnings per diluted common share:
Earnings per diluted common share from continuing operations	0.59	0.44	1.52	1.32
Earnings per diluted common share from discontinued operations			(0.05)	0.71
Earnings per diluted common share	$ 0.59	$ 0.44	$ 1.47	$ 2.03
Weighted average shares outstanding used in computing earnings per share:
Basic	108,773	116,251	111,131	116,840
Diluted	109,440	117,163	111,951	117,803
Dividends declared per common share	$ 0.22		$ 0.58

Condensed Consolidated Stateme5

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 64,398	$ 51,714	$ 164,242	$ 239,773
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(6,830)	(10,266)	(7,269)	(11,992)
Income tax effect	156	(502)	790	163
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net	(6,674)	(10,768)	(6,479)	(11,829)
Pension and other post-retirement adjustments	300	53	203	219
Income tax effect	(80)	(18)	(67)	(16)
Pension and other post-retirement adjustments, net	220	35	136	203
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(6,454)	(10,733)	(6,343)	(11,626)
Comprehensive income	$ 57,944	$ 40,981	$ 157,899	$ 228,147

Condensed Consolidated Stateme6

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income	$ 164,242	$ 239,773
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Amortization of intangible assets	35,107	37,026
Stock-based compensation expense	20,552	20,116
Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements	23,321	18,310
Amortization of debt origination fees	1,427	1,328
Deferred taxes	(6,095)	996
Amortization of discount on long-term debt		359
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation	(13,706)	(3,197)
Gain on disposition of subsidiary, net of costs		(84,620)
Other non-cash adjustments	(2,284)	1,764
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of assets and liabilities assumed:
Accounts receivable	(30,482)	(38,635)
Prepaid income taxes	8,814	(20,552)
Prepaid and other assets	(306)	(7,343)
Accounts payable	(1,012)	973
Deferred revenue	17,985	50,304
Accrued compensation and related benefits	(15,169)	(19,581)
Other accrued liabilities	19,846	6,552
Other	2,432	(1,954)
Net cash provided by operating activities	224,672	201,619
Cash flows from investing activities
Dispositions, net of cash provided		362,811
Capital expenditures	(24,525)	(36,174)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired		(14,880)
Capitalized software development costs	(6,062)	(6,063)
Proceeds from the sale of capital equipment	55	8
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(30,532)	305,702
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from borrowing	800,000
Payment of issuance costs in connection with long-term debt	(10,477)
Repayment of long-term debt		(15,187)
Repurchase of treasury shares	(444,640)	(409,396)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	2,433	9,009
Payment of dividends	(64,989)
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	13,706	3,197
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	296,033	(412,377)
Effect of exchange rate changes	(5,484)	(5,185)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	484,689	89,759
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	508,799	358,434
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	993,488	448,193
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest	20,922	14,387
Cash paid for income taxes	92,461	101,421
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing activities:
Property, equipment and leasehold improvements in other accrued liabilities	7,619	3,929
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash financing activities:
Cash dividends declared, but not yet paid	$ 73	$ 20,393

Introduction and Basis of Prese

Introduction and Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Introduction and Basis of Presentation	1. INTRODUCTION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION MSCI Inc., together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries (the “Company” or “MSCI”), is a provider of portfolio construction and risk management tools and services for global investors. The Company’s flagship products are its global equity indexes and environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) products, its private real estate benchmarks, its portfolio risk and performance analytics covering global equity, its multi-asset class, market and credit risk analytics and its performance reporting products and services offered to investment consultants. On March 17, 2014, MSCI entered into a definitive agreement to sell Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”). As a result, the Company reported the operating results of ISS in “Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes” in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. Unless otherwise indicated, the disclosures accompanying these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the Company’s continuing operations. The Company completed the sale of ISS on April 30, 2014. See Note 3, “Disposition and Discontinued Operations,” for further details. Following the disposition of ISS, MSCI maintained one reportable segment. During the quarter ended September 30, 2015, MSCI changed its reportable segments to Index, Analytics and All Other. These three segments reflect certain changes made during the quarter to the management of the Company’s product lines. This presentation also better aligns the Company’s financial reporting with how its products and services are offered to its clients and offers additional insight into how the Company is being managed. See Note 10, “Segment Information,” for further information about MSCI’s reportable segments. Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of MSCI Inc. and its subsidiaries and include all adjustments of a normal, recurring nature necessary to present fairly the financial condition as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 and the cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes included in MSCI’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the year ended December 31, 2014. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statement information as of December 31, 2014 has been derived from the 2014 audited consolidated financial statements. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year. The Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). These accounting principles require the Company to make certain estimates and judgments that can affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the periods presented. Significant estimates and assumptions made by management include the deferral and recognition of revenue, software capitalization, the allowance for doubtful accounts, impairment of long-lived assets, accrued compensation, income taxes and other matters that affect the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company believes that estimates used in the preparation of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are reasonable; however, actual results could differ materially from these estimates. Intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. The Company changed its presentation of operating expenses during the quarter ended September 30, 2015 in order to provide more transparency into the underlying cost base of the Company, consistent with how it is managed. Prior to the change, operating expenses were grouped and presented as cost of services and selling, general and administrative. Cost of services included costs related to research, data management and production, software engineering and production management functions. Selling, general and administrative consisted of expenses for sales and marketing staff, finance, human resources, legal and compliance, information technology infrastructure and corporate administration personnel. For the quarter ended September 30 2015, operating expenses are grouped and presented in the following activity categories: cost of revenues, selling and marketing, research and development and general and administrative. Costs are assigned to these categories based on the nature of the expense, or, when not directly attributable, an estimate of the effort involved or other usage metric is utilized. Cost of revenues consists of costs related to the production and servicing of the Company’s products and services and primarily include information technology costs associated with the production and delivery of its products and services, including data center, platform and infrastructure costs; costs to acquire, produce and maintain market data information; costs of research to support, maintain and rebalance existing products; costs of product management teams; costs of client service and consultant teams to support customer needs; as well as other support costs directly attributable to the cost of revenues including certain human resources, finance and legal costs. Selling and marketing expenses consists of costs associated with acquiring new clients or selling new products or product renewals to existing clients and primarily includes the costs of our sales force and marketing teams as well as costs incurred in other groups associated with acquiring new business, including product management, research, technology and sales operations. Research and development expenses consists of costs to develop new or enhance existing products and the costs to develop new or improved technology and service platforms for the delivery of our products and services and primarily includes the costs of application development, research, product management, project management and the technology support associated with these efforts. General and administrative expenses consists of costs that are not directly attributed to, but are instead allocated to, a product or service and primarily includes finance operations, human resources, office of the CEO, legal, corporate technology, corporate development and certain other administrative costs. The recasting of previously issued financial information has been made to conform to the current presentation and does not represent a restatement of previously issued financial statements and does not affect reported net income, earnings per share, total assets, or stockholders’ equity for any of the previously reported periods. Concentrations For the nine months ended September 30, 2015, BlackRock, Inc. accounted for 10.4% of the Company’s consolidated operating revenues and 19.5% of the Index segment operating revenues. For the nine months ended September 30, 2014, BlackRock, Inc. accounted for 10.6% of the Company’s consolidated operating revenues and 20.2% of the Index segment operating revenues. No single customer represented more than 10% of revenues within the Analytics and All Other segments for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014.

Recent Accounting Standards Upd

Recent Accounting Standards Updates	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]
Recent Accounting Standards Updates	2. RECENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS UPDATES In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” industry-specific 2015-14, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date.” In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-03, “Interest—Imputation of Interest: Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs,” In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-05, “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software,” In August 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-15, “Interest—Imputation of Interest: Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements,” In September 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-16, “Business Combinations,”

Disposition and Discontinued Op

Disposition and Discontinued Operations	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Disposition and Discontinued Operations	3. DISPOSITION AND DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS The operating results of ISS have been included in “Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes” in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. The sale of ISS was completed on April 30, 2014 for $367.4 million. The value of the assets and liabilities of ISS that were disposed, directly attributable transaction costs and the resulting gain on disposal that was reported in “Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes” for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 was as follows: (in thousands) Cash proceeds $ 367,355 Less: Working capital adjustments (311 ) Total proceeds 367,044 Less assets sold and liabilities relieved resulting from disposal: Cash and cash equivalents (4,544 ) Accounts receivable (15,765 ) Deferred taxes (current) (3,174 ) Prepaid taxes (617 ) Prepaid and other assets (4,500 ) Property, equipment and leasehold improvements (net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $4,213) (8,544 ) Goodwill (254,233 ) Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization of $50,283) (121,269 ) Other non-current assets (1,645 ) Accounts payable 574 Accrued compensation and related benefits 6,783 Other accrued liabilities 4,034 Deferred revenue 51,767 Deferred taxes (non-current) 59,129 Other non-current liabilities 5,576 Other comprehensive income including currency translation adjustments and pension and other post-retirement adjustments 4,004 Net assets sold (282,424 ) Less: Transaction costs (5,946 ) Gain on sale of ISS $ 78,674 Amounts associated with discontinued operations reflected in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively, were as follows: Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, (in thousands) 2015 2014 2015 2014 Revenue from discontinued operations $ — $ — $ — $ 43,122 Income (loss) from discontinued operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes $ — $ (110 ) $ — $ 86,254 Provision (benefit) for income taxes — (100 ) 5,797 2,154 Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes $ — $ (10 ) $ (5,797 ) $ 84,100 The nine months ended September 30, 2015 reflect the impact of an out-of-period income tax charge associated with tax obligations triggered upon the sale of ISS.

Reclassifications out of Accumu

Reclassifications out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Reclassifications out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	4. RECLASSIFICATIONS OUT OF ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) As required by FASB’s ASC Subtopic 220-10, “ Comprehensive Income—Overall Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (1) (in thousands) Details about Accumulated Other Comprehensive Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Affected Line Item in the Three and Nine Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 September 30, 2014 Defined benefit pension plans Amount recognized as a component of net periodic benefit expense for curtailments and settlements $ — $ (186 ) (2) — 6 Provision for $ — $ (180 ) Net of tax Foreign currency translation adjustment $ — $ 4,184 (2) Total reclassifications for the period, net of tax $ — $ 4,004 (1) Amounts in parentheses indicate expenses or losses moved to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. (2) These accumulated other comprehensive income components were reclassified to “Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes” as part of the gain on the disposition of ISS.

Earnings Per Common Share

Earnings Per Common Share	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Common Share	5. EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE Basic earnings per share (“EPS”) is computed by dividing income available to MSCI common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Common shares outstanding include common stock and vested restricted stock unit awards where recipients have satisfied either the explicit vesting terms or retirement-eligible requirements. Diluted EPS reflects the assumed conversion of all dilutive securities. There were 850 and 283 anti-dilutive securities excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively. There were 104,494 and 104,346 anti-dilutive securities excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively. The Company computes EPS using the two-class method and determines whether instruments granted in share-based payment transactions are participating securities. The following table presents the computation of basic and diluted EPS: Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 (in thousands, except per share data) Income from continuing operations, net of income taxes $ 64,398 $ 51,724 $ 170,039 $ 155,673 Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes — (10 ) (5,797 ) 84,100 Net income $ 64,398 $ 51,714 $ 164,242 $ 239,773 Less: Allocations of earnings to unvested restricted stock units (1) — (69 ) — (320 ) Earnings available to MSCI common shareholders $ 64,398 $ 51,645 $ 164,242 $ 239,453 Basic weighted average common shares outstanding 108,773 116,251 111,131 116,840 Effect of dilutive securities: Stock options and restricted stock units 667 912 820 963 Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding 109,440 117,163 111,951 117,803 Earnings per basic common share from continuing operations $ 0.59 $ 0.44 $ 1.53 $ 1.33 Earnings per basic common share from discontinued operations — — (0.05 ) 0.72 Earnings per basic common share $ 0.59 $ 0.44 $ 1.48 $ 2.05 Earnings per diluted common share from continuing operations $ 0.59 $ 0.44 $ 1.52 $ 1.32 Earnings per diluted common share from discontinued operations — — (0.05 ) 0.71 Earnings per diluted common share $ 0.59 $ 0.44 $ 1.47 $ 2.03 (1) Restricted stock units granted to employees prior to 2013 and restricted stock units granted to independent directors of the Company prior to April 30, 2015 had a right to participate in all of the earnings of the Company in the computation of basic EPS and, therefore, these restricted stock units were not included as incremental shares in the diluted EPS computation.

Property, Equipment and Leaseho

Property, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements	6. PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT AND LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS Property, equipment and leasehold improvements at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 consisted of the following: As of Type Estimated Useful Lives September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 (in thousands) Computer & related equipment 2 to 5 years $ 136,937 $ 118,537 Furniture & fixtures 7 years 9,988 9,569 Leasehold improvements 1 to 21 years 48,918 49,756 Work-in-process — 10,488 9,020 Subtotal 206,331 186,882 Accumulated depreciation and amortization (111,367 ) (92,808 ) Property, equipment and leasehold improvements, net $ 94,964 $ 94,074 Depreciation and amortization expense of property, equipment and leasehold improvements was $8.0 million and $6.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Depreciation and amortization expense of property, equipment and leasehold improvements was $23.3 million and $18.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Intangible Assets	7. GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS Goodwill The change to the Company’s goodwill was as follows: Goodwill (in thousands) Goodwill at December 31, 2014 $ 1,564,904 Foreign exchange translation adjustment (1,817 ) Goodwill at September 30, 2015 $ 1,563,087 As described in Note 1, “Introduction and Basis of Presentation,” the Company changed its reportable segments in the quarter ended September 30, 2015. Simultaneously, segment reporting and goodwill reporting units were updated in connection with this change. The Company reallocated its goodwill to its reporting units using a relative fair value allocation approach in accordance with applicable accounting guidance. At September 30, 2015, the goodwill assigned to the Index, Analytics and All Other reportable segments was $1,209.5 million, $298.3 million and $55.3 million, respectively. Intangible Assets Amortization expense related to intangible assets for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 was $11.7 million and $11.6 million, respectively. Amortization expense related to intangible assets for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 was $35.1 million and $34.3 million, respectively. The gross carrying and accumulated amortization amounts related to the Company’s identifiable intangible assets were as follows: As of Estimated September 30, December 31, (in thousands) Gross intangible assets: Customer relationships 5 to 21 years $ 360,835 $ 360,835 Trademarks/trade names 5 to 21.5 years 223,382 223,382 Technology/software 3 to 8.5 years 196,457 193,681 Proprietary data 13 years 28,627 28,627 Covenant not to compete 2 years 900 900 Subtotal 810,201 807,425 Foreign exchange translation adjustment (3,217 ) (1,588 ) Total gross intangible assets $ 806,984 $ 805,837 Accumulated amortization: Customer relationships $ (137,254 ) $ (119,058 ) Trademarks/trade names (90,487 ) (81,545 ) Technology/software (173,130 ) (167,083 ) Proprietary data (6,175 ) (4,589 ) Covenant not to compete (525 ) (187 ) Subtotal (407,571 ) (372,462 ) Foreign exchange translation adjustment 530 253 Total accumulated amortization $ (407,041 ) $ (372,209 ) Net intangible assets: Customer relationships $ 223,581 $ 241,777 Trademarks/trade names 132,895 141,837 Technology/software 23,327 26,598 Proprietary data 22,452 24,038 Covenant not to compete 375 713 Subtotal 402,630 434,963 Foreign exchange translation adjustment (2,687 ) (1,335 ) Total net intangible assets $ 399,943 $ 433,628 The estimated amortization expense for the remainder of 2015 and succeeding years is presented below: Years Ending December 31, Amortization Expense (in thousands) Remainder 2015 $ 11,835 2016 47,421 2017 42,174 2018 39,046 2019 37,357 Thereafter 222,110 Total $ 399,943

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	8. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Legal matters. Leases. Return of capital. Prior to 2014, the Company repurchased an aggregate of $200.0 million worth of shares through multiple accelerated share repurchase (“ASR”) agreements under the 2012 Repurchase Program. On February 6, 2014, MSCI utilized the remaining $100.0 million repurchase authorization provided by the 2012 Repurchase Program. On February 4, 2014, the Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program authorizing the purchase of up to $300.0 million worth of shares of MSCI’s common stock, which was increased to $850.0 million on September 17, 2014 (the “2014 Repurchase Program”). Share repurchases made pursuant to the 2014 Repurchase Program may take place through December 31, 2016 in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions from time to time based on market and other conditions. This authorization may be modified, suspended, terminated or extended by the Board of Directors at any time without prior notice. On September 18, 2014, as part of the 2014 Repurchase Program, the Company entered into an ASR agreement to initiate share repurchases aggregating $300.0 million (the “September 2014 ASR Agreement”). As a result of the September 2014 ASR Agreement, the Company received approximately 4.5 million shares of MSCI’s common stock on September 19, 2014 and approximately 1.2 million shares of MSCI’s common stock on May 21, 2015 for a combined average price of $52.79 per share. On June 2, 2015, the Company began purchasing shares of its common stock on the open market in accordance with SEC Rule 10b5-1. Through September 30, 2015, the Company paid $403.4 million to receive approximately 6.5 million shares of its common stock pursuant to 10b5-1 plans for a combined average price of $62.01 per share. During the quarter ended September 30, 2015, the Company paid $12.1 million to receive approximately 0.2 million shares on the open market as part of the 2014 Repurchase Program. These open market share repurchases were made separate to any repurchases made under any 10b5-1 plans or previously announced ASR agreement. Since the introduction of the 2014 Repurchase Program and through September 30, 2015, the Company has paid $715.6 million and has received an aggregate of approximately 12.4 million shares under the programs for a combined average price of $57.76 per share. On September 17, 2014, the Board of Directors approved a plan to initiate a quarterly cash dividend. The Company has declared and paid cash dividends per common share for the periods indicated: Dividends Per Share Amount (in thousands) 2014: Fourth quarter $ 0.18 $ 20,393 2015: First quarter $ 0.18 $ 20,411 Second quarter 0.18 20,442 Third quarter 0.22 24,152 Total cash dividends declared and paid $ 0.58 $ 65,005 Long-term debt. On August 13, 2015, the Company completed its second private offering of $800.0 million aggregate principal amount of 5.75% senior unsecured notes due 2025 (the “2025 Senior Notes”). The Company intends to use the $789.5 million of net proceeds from the offering of the 2025 Senior Notes for general corporate purposes, including, without limitation, repurchases of its common stock. The 2024 Senior Notes are scheduled to mature and be paid in full on November 20, 2024. At any time prior to November 15, 2019, the Company may redeem all or part of the 2024 Senior Notes upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ prior notice at a redemption price equal to the sum of (i) 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus (ii) a make-whole premium as of the date of redemption, plus (iii) accrued and unpaid interest and additional interest, if any, thereon, to the date of redemption. In addition, the Company may redeem all or part of the 2024 Senior Notes, together with accrued and unpaid interest, on or after November 15, 2019, at redemption prices set forth in the indenture governing the 2024 Senior Notes. At any time prior to November 15, 2017, the Company may use the proceeds of certain equity offerings to redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Senior Notes, including any permitted additional notes, at a redemption price equal to 105.25% of the principal amount. The 2014 Revolving Credit Agreement has an initial term of five years that may be extended, at the Company’s request, for two additional one year terms. The 2025 Senior Notes are scheduled to mature and be paid in full on August 15, 2025. At any time prior to August 15, 2020, the Company may redeem all or part of the 2025 Senior Notes upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ prior notice at a redemption price equal to the sum of (i) 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus (ii) a make-whole premium as of the date of redemption, plus (iii) accrued and unpaid interest and additional interest, if any, thereon, to the date of redemption. In addition, the Company may redeem all or part of the 2025 Senior Notes, together with accrued and unpaid interest, on or after August 15, 2020, at redemption prices set forth in the indenture governing the 2025 Senior Notes. At any time prior to August 15, 2018, the Company may use the proceeds of certain equity offerings to redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Senior Notes, including any permitted additional notes, at a redemption price equal to 105.75% of the principal amount. Interest on the 2024 Senior Notes accrues at a fixed rate of 5.25% per annum and is payable semiannually in arrears on May 15 and November 15 of each year, to the holders of record as of the immediately preceding May 1 and November 1. The first interest payment of $20.4 million was made on May 15, 2015. Interest on the 2025 Senior Notes accrues at a fixed rate of 5.75% per annum and is payable semiannually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each year, to the holders of record as of the immediately preceding February 1 and August 1. The first interest payment will be made on February 15, 2016. Long-term debt at September 30, 2015 was $1,578.8 million, net of $21.2 million in deferred financing fees. Long-term debt at December 31, 2014 was $788.4 million, net of $11.6 million in deferred financing fees. See Note 2, “Recent Accounting Standards Updates,” for further information on the presentation of debt issuance costs in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. In connection with the closing of the 2024 and 2025 Senior Notes offerings and entering into the 2014 Revolving Credit Agreement, the Company paid certain fees which, together with the existing fees related to prior credit facilities, are being amortized over the life of the 2024 and 2025 Senior Notes and the 2014 Revolving Credit Agreement. At September 30, 2015, $23.7 million of the deferred financing fees remain unamortized, $0.6 million of which is included in “Prepaid and other assets,” $1.9 million of which is included in “Other non-current assets” and $21.2 million of which is grouped and presented as part of “Long-term debt” on the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Condition. The Company amortized $0.5 million and $0.4 million of deferred financing fees in interest expense during the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The Company amortized $1.4 million and $1.3 million of deferred financing fees in interest expense during the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Approximately $0.1 million and $0.4 million of debt discount was amortized in interest expense during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively. There was no unamortized debt discount outstanding as of December 31, 2014. At September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the fair market value of the Company’s debt obligations was $1,620.5 million and $831.0 million, respectively. The fair market value is determined in accordance with accounting standards related to the determination of fair value and represents Level 2 valuations, which are based on one or more quoted prices in markets that are not considered to be active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly. The Company utilizes the market approach and obtains security pricing from a vendor who uses broker quotes and third-party pricing services to determine fair values. Derivatives and Hedging Activities. Certain of the Company’s foreign operations expose the Company to fluctuations of foreign exchange rates. These fluctuations may impact the value of the Company’s cash receipts and payments in terms of the Company’s functional currency, the U.S. dollar. The Company enters into derivative financial instruments to protect the value or fix the amount of certain obligations in terms of its functional currency. The Company does not enter into derivative contracts for trading or other speculative purposes. Non-designated Hedges of Foreign Exchange Risk. The following table presents the fair values of the Company’s derivative instruments and the location in which they are presented on the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition: (in thousands) Unaudited Condensed Financial Condition Location As of As of Non-designated hedging Liability derivatives: Foreign exchange contracts Other accrued liabilities $ (88) $ (243) The Company’s foreign exchange forward contracts were classified within Level 2, as they were valued using pricing models that took into account the contract terms as well as multiple observable inputs where applicable, such as prevailing spot rates and forward points. The following tables present the effect of the Company’s financial derivatives and the location in which they are presented on the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition and Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the periods indicated: Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments (in thousands) Location of Gain or Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized 2015 2014 Foreign exchange contracts Other expense & income $ (125) $ (258) Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments (in thousands) Location of Gain or Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized 2015 2014 Foreign exchange contracts Other expense & income $ 287 $ (825 )

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	9. INCOME TAXES The Company’s provision for income taxes was $94.1 million and $81.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. These amounts reflect effective tax rates of 35.6% and 34.5% for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The effective tax rate of 35.6% for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 reflects the Company’s estimate of the effective tax rate for the period and was impacted by a change in the mix of profits between tax jurisdictions as well as certain discrete items totaling $0.7 million. These items relate to the benefit recognized on the sale of an investment in which the tax basis and book basis were permanently different, partially offset by an increased liability for state taxes. The effective tax rate of 34.5% for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 reflects the Company’s estimate of such tax rate for the period and was impacted by certain discrete items totaling $3.4 million related to state taxes, the release of reserves associated with certain IRS examinations and certain federal and foreign discrete items related to the filing of such tax returns. The cumulative effect of these discrete items was to decrease the Company’s effective tax rate by 1.4 percentage points. The Company is under examination by the IRS and other tax authorities in certain jurisdictions, including foreign jurisdictions, such as India, and states in which the Company has significant business operations, such as New York. The tax years currently under examination vary by jurisdiction but include years ranging from 2005 through 2014. As a result of having previously been a member of the Morgan Stanley consolidated group, the Company may have future settlements with Morgan Stanley related to the ultimate disposition of their New York State and New York City examination relating to the tax years 2007 and 2008 and their IRS examination relating to the tax years 2006 through 2008. The Company does not believe it has any material exposure to the New York State and New York City examinations. Additionally, the Company believes it has adequate reserves for any tax issues that may arise out of the IRS examination relating to the tax years 2006 through 2008 and therefore does not believe any related settlement with Morgan Stanley will have a material impact. The Company regularly assesses the likelihood of additional assessments in each of the taxing jurisdictions in which it files income tax returns. The Company has established unrecognized tax benefits that the Company believes are adequate in relation to the potential for additional assessments. Once established, the Company adjusts unrecognized tax benefits only when more information is available or when an event occurs necessitating a change. As part of the Company’s periodic review of unrecognized tax benefits and based on new information regarding the status of federal and state examinations, the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits were remeasured. It is reasonably possible that significant changes in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits may occur within the next 12 months. At this time, however, it is not possible to reasonably estimate the expected change to the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits and the impact on the effective tax rate over the next 12 months.

Segment Information

Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	10. SEGMENT INFORMATION ASC Subtopic 280-10, “Segment Reporting,” The CODM measures and evaluates reportable segments based on segment operating revenues as well as adjusted EBITDA and other measures. The Company excludes the following items from segment adjusted EBITDA: income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes, provision for income taxes, other expense (income), net, depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements, amortization of intangible assets and certain transactions or adjustments that the CODM does not consider for the purposes of making decisions to allocate resources among segments or to assess segment performance. Although these amounts are excluded from segment adjusted EBITDA, they are included in reported consolidated net income and are included in the reconciliation that follows. The Company’s computation of segment adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures computed by other companies because all companies do not calculate segment adjusted EBITDA in the same fashion. Revenues and expenses directly associated with each segment are included in determining its operating results. Other expenses that are not directly attributable to a particular segment are allocated based upon allocation methodologies, including time estimates, headcount, sales targets, data center consumption and other relevant usage measures. Due to the integrated structure of our business, certain costs incurred by one segment may benefit other segments. A segment may use the content and data produced by another segment without incurring an arm’s length intersegment charge. The CODM does not review any information regarding total assets on an operating segment basis. Operating segments do not record intersegment revenue, and, accordingly, there is none to be reported. The accounting policies for segment reporting are the same as for MSCI as a whole. Effective in the quarter ended September 30, 2015, the Company has four operating segments: Index, Analytics, ESG and Real Estate. The Index operating segment is a provider of investment decision support tools, including equity indexes and equity index benchmarks. The products are used in many areas of the investment process, including portfolio construction and rebalancing, asset allocation, performance benchmarking and attribution, regulatory and client reporting and index-linked investment product creation. The Analytics operating segment consists of products and services used for portfolio construction, risk management and reporting. The products enable investors to monitor, analyze and report on the risk and return of investments across a variety of asset classes. They are based on proprietary, integrated fundamental multi-factor risk models, value-at-risk methodologies, performance attribution frameworks and asset valuation models. In addition, the Analytics segment includes products that help investors value, model and hedge physical assets and derivatives across a number of market segments, including energy and commodity assets. The ESG operating segment offers products institutional investors use for assessing risks and opportunities arising from environmental, social and governance issues. ESG tools are used to evaluate both individual securities and investment portfolios. The Real Estate operating segment is a provider of real estate performance analysis for funds, investors, managers, lenders and occupiers. It provides index products and offers services that include research, reporting and benchmarking. The operating segments of ESG and Real Estate do not meet the segment reporting thresholds and have been combined and presented as part of All Other for disclosure purposes. The following table presents operating revenue by the reportable segments’ results for the periods indicated: Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 (in thousands) Operating revenues Index $ 141,577 $ 129,869 $ 415,262 $ 374,429 Analytics 108,341 103,247 322,756 308,661 All Other 18,853 18,545 64,102 62,485 Total $ 268,771 $ 251,661 $ 802,120 $ 745,575 The following table presents segment profitability and a reconciliation to net income for the periods indicated: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended 2015 2014 2015 2014 (in thousands) Index adjusted EBITDA $ 102,927 $ 91,031 $ 293,997 $ 259,289 Analytics adjusted EBITDA 29,216 16,788 64,560 52,345 All Other adjusted EBITDA (3,282 ) (5,867 ) (3,774 ) (7,185 ) Total operating segment profitability 128,861 101,952 354,783 304,449 Amortization of intangible assets 11,710 11,574 35,107 34,286 Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements 8,049 6,342 23,321 18,091 Operating income 109,102 84,036 296,355 252,072 Other expense (income), net 10,060 4,040 32,237 14,462 Provision for income taxes 34,644 28,272 94,079 81,937 Income from continuing operations 64,398 51,724 170,039 155,673 Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes — (10 ) (5,797 ) 84,100 Net income $ 64,398 $ 51,714 $ 164,242 $ 239,773 Revenue by geography is based on the shipping address of the ultimate customer utilizing the product. The following table presents revenue by geographic area for the periods indicated: Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 (in thousands) Operating revenues Americas: United States $ 128,770 $ 118,721 $ 384,443 $ 347,779 Other 10,817 9,171 31,047 27,961 Total Americas 139,587 127,892 415,490 375,740 Europe, the Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”): United Kingdom 42,249 40,104 124,645 115,961 Other 52,564 52,067 162,873 160,695 Total EMEA 94,813 92,171 287,518 276,656 Asia & Australia: Japan 11,283 11,573 33,843 35,385 Other 23,088 20,025 65,269 57,794 Total Asia & Australia 34,371 31,598 99,112 93,179 Total $ 268,771 $ 251,661 $ 802,120 $ 745,575 Long-lived assets consist of property, equipment, leasehold improvements, goodwill and intangible assets, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. The following table presents long-lived assets by geographic area on the dates indicated: As of September 30, December 31, Long-lived assets (in thousands) Americas: United States $ 1,915,001 $ 1,944,433 Other 2,430 3,293 Total Americas 1,917,431 1,947,726 EMEA: United Kingdom 113,756 120,781 Other 16,262 13,345 Total EMEA 130,018 134,126 Asia & Australia: Japan 639 837 Other 9,906 9,917 Total Asia & Australia 10,545 10,754 Total $ 2,057,994 $ 2,092,606

Subsequent Events

Subsequent Events	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	11. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS On October 28, 2015, the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.22 per share for fourth quarter 2015. The fourth quarter 2015 dividend is payable on November 30, 2015 to shareholders of record as of the close of trading on November 13, 2015. On October 28, 2015, the Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase program authorizing the purchase of up to $1.0 billion worth of shares of MSCI’s common stock (the “2015 Repurchase Program”). Share repurchases made pursuant to the 2015 Repurchase Program may take place in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions from time to time based on market and other conditions. This authorization may be modified, suspended, terminated or extended by the Board of Directors at any time without prior notice.

Introduction and Basis of Pre18

Introduction and Basis of Presentation (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates	Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of MSCI Inc. and its subsidiaries and include all adjustments of a normal, recurring nature necessary to present fairly the financial condition as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 and the cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes included in MSCI’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the year ended December 31, 2014. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statement information as of December 31, 2014 has been derived from the 2014 audited consolidated financial statements. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year. The Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). These accounting principles require the Company to make certain estimates and judgments that can affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the periods presented. Significant estimates and assumptions made by management include the deferral and recognition of revenue, software capitalization, the allowance for doubtful accounts, impairment of long-lived assets, accrued compensation, income taxes and other matters that affect the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company believes that estimates used in the preparation of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are reasonable; however, actual results could differ materially from these estimates. Intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. The Company changed its presentation of operating expenses during the quarter ended September 30, 2015 in order to provide more transparency into the underlying cost base of the Company, consistent with how it is managed. Prior to the change, operating expenses were grouped and presented as cost of services and selling, general and administrative. Cost of services included costs related to research, data management and production, software engineering and production management functions. Selling, general and administrative consisted of expenses for sales and marketing staff, finance, human resources, legal and compliance, information technology infrastructure and corporate administration personnel. For the quarter ended September 30 2015, operating expenses are grouped and presented in the following activity categories: cost of revenues, selling and marketing, research and development and general and administrative. Costs are assigned to these categories based on the nature of the expense, or, when not directly attributable, an estimate of the effort involved or other usage metric is utilized. Cost of revenues consists of costs related to the production and servicing of the Company’s products and services and primarily include information technology costs associated with the production and delivery of its products and services, including data center, platform and infrastructure costs; costs to acquire, produce and maintain market data information; costs of research to support, maintain and rebalance existing products; costs of product management teams; costs of client service and consultant teams to support customer needs; as well as other support costs directly attributable to the cost of revenues including certain human resources, finance and legal costs. Selling and marketing expenses consists of costs associated with acquiring new clients or selling new products or product renewals to existing clients and primarily includes the costs of our sales force and marketing teams as well as costs incurred in other groups associated with acquiring new business, including product management, research, technology and sales operations. Research and development expenses consists of costs to develop new or enhance existing products and the costs to develop new or improved technology and service platforms for the delivery of our products and services and primarily includes the costs of application development, research, product management, project management and the technology support associated with these efforts. General and administrative expenses consists of costs that are not directly attributed to, but are instead allocated to, a product or service and primarily includes finance operations, human resources, office of the CEO, legal, corporate technology, corporate development and certain other administrative costs. The recasting of previously issued financial information has been made to conform to the current presentation and does not represent a restatement of previously issued financial statements and does not affect reported net income, earnings per share, total assets, or stockholders’ equity for any of the previously reported periods.
Concentrations	Concentrations For the nine months ended September 30, 2015, BlackRock, Inc. accounted for 10.4% of the Company’s consolidated operating revenues and 19.5% of the Index segment operating revenues. For the nine months ended September 30, 2014, BlackRock, Inc. accounted for 10.6% of the Company’s consolidated operating revenues and 20.2% of the Index segment operating revenues. No single customer represented more than 10% of revenues within the Analytics and All Other segments for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014.
Recent Accounting Standards Updates	In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” industry-specific 2015-14, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date.” In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-03, “Interest—Imputation of Interest: Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs,” In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-05, “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software,” In August 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-15, “Interest—Imputation of Interest: Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements,” In September 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-16, “Business Combinations,”

Disposition and Discontinued 19

Disposition and Discontinued Operations (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Schedule of Value of Assets and Liabilities Disposed	The sale of ISS was completed on April 30, 2014 for $367.4 million. The value of the assets and liabilities of ISS that were disposed, directly attributable transaction costs and the resulting gain on disposal that was reported in “Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes” for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 was as follows: (in thousands) Cash proceeds $ 367,355 Less: Working capital adjustments (311 ) Total proceeds 367,044 Less assets sold and liabilities relieved resulting from disposal: Cash and cash equivalents (4,544 ) Accounts receivable (15,765 ) Deferred taxes (current) (3,174 ) Prepaid taxes (617 ) Prepaid and other assets (4,500 ) Property, equipment and leasehold improvements (net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $4,213) (8,544 ) Goodwill (254,233 ) Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization of $50,283) (121,269 ) Other non-current assets (1,645 ) Accounts payable 574 Accrued compensation and related benefits 6,783 Other accrued liabilities 4,034 Deferred revenue 51,767 Deferred taxes (non-current) 59,129 Other non-current liabilities 5,576 Other comprehensive income including currency translation adjustments and pension and other post-retirement adjustments 4,004 Net assets sold (282,424 ) Less: Transaction costs (5,946 ) Gain on sale of ISS $ 78,674
Schedule of Income (Loss) Amounts Associated with Discontinued Operations	Amounts associated with discontinued operations reflected in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively, were as follows: Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, (in thousands) 2015 2014 2015 2014 Revenue from discontinued operations $ — $ — $ — $ 43,122 Income (loss) from discontinued operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes $ — $ (110 ) $ — $ 86,254 Provision (benefit) for income taxes — (100 ) 5,797 2,154 Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes $ — $ (10 ) $ (5,797 ) $ 84,100

Reclassifications out of Accu20

Reclassifications out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Schedule of Reclassifications out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (1) (in thousands) Details about Accumulated Other Comprehensive Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Affected Line Item in the Three and Nine Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 September 30, 2014 Defined benefit pension plans Amount recognized as a component of net periodic benefit expense for curtailments and settlements $ — $ (186 ) (2) — 6 Provision for $ — $ (180 ) Net of tax Foreign currency translation adjustment $ — $ 4,184 (2) Total reclassifications for the period, net of tax $ — $ 4,004 (1) Amounts in parentheses indicate expenses or losses moved to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. (2) These accumulated other comprehensive income components were reclassified to “Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes” as part of the gain on the disposition of ISS.

Earnings Per Common Share (Tabl

Earnings Per Common Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Computation of Basic and Diluted EPS	The Company computes EPS using the two-class method and determines whether instruments granted in share-based payment transactions are participating securities. The following table presents the computation of basic and diluted EPS: Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 (in thousands, except per share data) Income from continuing operations, net of income taxes $ 64,398 $ 51,724 $ 170,039 $ 155,673 Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes — (10 ) (5,797 ) 84,100 Net income $ 64,398 $ 51,714 $ 164,242 $ 239,773 Less: Allocations of earnings to unvested restricted stock units (1) — (69 ) — (320 ) Earnings available to MSCI common shareholders $ 64,398 $ 51,645 $ 164,242 $ 239,453 Basic weighted average common shares outstanding 108,773 116,251 111,131 116,840 Effect of dilutive securities: Stock options and restricted stock units 667 912 820 963 Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding 109,440 117,163 111,951 117,803 Earnings per basic common share from continuing operations $ 0.59 $ 0.44 $ 1.53 $ 1.33 Earnings per basic common share from discontinued operations — — (0.05 ) 0.72 Earnings per basic common share $ 0.59 $ 0.44 $ 1.48 $ 2.05 Earnings per diluted common share from continuing operations $ 0.59 $ 0.44 $ 1.52 $ 1.32 Earnings per diluted common share from discontinued operations — — (0.05 ) 0.71 Earnings per diluted common share $ 0.59 $ 0.44 $ 1.47 $ 2.03 (1) Restricted stock units granted to employees prior to 2013 and restricted stock units granted to independent directors of the Company prior to April 30, 2015 had a right to participate in all of the earnings of the Company in the computation of basic EPS and, therefore, these restricted stock units were not included as incremental shares in the diluted EPS computation.

Property, Equipment and Lease22

Property, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Schedule of Property, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements	Property, equipment and leasehold improvements at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 consisted of the following: As of Type Estimated Useful Lives September 30, 2015 December 31, 2014 (in thousands) Computer & related equipment 2 to 5 years $ 136,937 $ 118,537 Furniture & fixtures 7 years 9,988 9,569 Leasehold improvements 1 to 21 years 48,918 49,756 Work-in-process — 10,488 9,020 Subtotal 206,331 186,882 Accumulated depreciation and amortization (111,367 ) (92,808 ) Property, equipment and leasehold improvements, net $ 94,964 $ 94,074

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Change to Company's Goodwill	The change to the Company’s goodwill was as follows: Goodwill (in thousands) Goodwill at December 31, 2014 $ 1,564,904 Foreign exchange translation adjustment (1,817 ) Goodwill at September 30, 2015 $ 1,563,087
Schedule of Gross Carrying and Accumulated Amortization Amounts Related to Company's Identifiable Intangible Assets	The gross carrying and accumulated amortization amounts related to the Company’s identifiable intangible assets were as follows: As of Estimated September 30, December 31, (in thousands) Gross intangible assets: Customer relationships 5 to 21 years $ 360,835 $ 360,835 Trademarks/trade names 5 to 21.5 years 223,382 223,382 Technology/software 3 to 8.5 years 196,457 193,681 Proprietary data 13 years 28,627 28,627 Covenant not to compete 2 years 900 900 Subtotal 810,201 807,425 Foreign exchange translation adjustment (3,217 ) (1,588 ) Total gross intangible assets $ 806,984 $ 805,837 Accumulated amortization: Customer relationships $ (137,254 ) $ (119,058 ) Trademarks/trade names (90,487 ) (81,545 ) Technology/software (173,130 ) (167,083 ) Proprietary data (6,175 ) (4,589 ) Covenant not to compete (525 ) (187 ) Subtotal (407,571 ) (372,462 ) Foreign exchange translation adjustment 530 253 Total accumulated amortization $ (407,041 ) $ (372,209 ) Net intangible assets: Customer relationships $ 223,581 $ 241,777 Trademarks/trade names 132,895 141,837 Technology/software 23,327 26,598 Proprietary data 22,452 24,038 Covenant not to compete 375 713 Subtotal 402,630 434,963 Foreign exchange translation adjustment (2,687 ) (1,335 ) Total net intangible assets $ 399,943 $ 433,628
Estimated Amortization Expense for Remainder of 2015 and Succeeding Years	The estimated amortization expense for the remainder of 2015 and succeeding years is presented below: Years Ending December 31, Amortization Expense (in thousands) Remainder 2015 $ 11,835 2016 47,421 2017 42,174 2018 39,046 2019 37,357 Thereafter 222,110 Total $ 399,943

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Dividends Declared and Paid Cash Dividends Per Common Share	The Company has declared and paid cash dividends per common share for the periods indicated: Dividends Per Share Amount (in thousands) 2014: Fourth quarter $ 0.18 $ 20,393 2015: First quarter $ 0.18 $ 20,411 Second quarter 0.18 20,442 Third quarter 0.22 24,152 Total cash dividends declared and paid $ 0.58 $ 65,005
Summary of Fair Values of Derivative Instruments	The following table presents the fair values of the Company’s derivative instruments and the location in which they are presented on the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition: (in thousands) Unaudited Condensed Financial Condition Location As of As of Non-designated hedging Liability derivatives: Foreign exchange contracts Other accrued liabilities $ (88) $ (243)
Effect of Financial Derivatives on Statements of Income	The following tables present the effect of the Company’s financial derivatives and the location in which they are presented on the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition and Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the periods indicated: Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments (in thousands) Location of Gain or Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized 2015 2014 Foreign exchange contracts Other expense & income $ (125) $ (258) Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments (in thousands) Location of Gain or Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized 2015 2014 Foreign exchange contracts Other expense & income $ 287 $ (825 )

Segment Information (Tables)

Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Operating Revenue by Reportable Segments	The following table presents operating revenue by the reportable segments’ results for the periods indicated: Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 (in thousands) Operating revenues Index $ 141,577 $ 129,869 $ 415,262 $ 374,429 Analytics 108,341 103,247 322,756 308,661 All Other 18,853 18,545 64,102 62,485 Total $ 268,771 $ 251,661 $ 802,120 $ 745,575
Segment Profitability and Reconciliation to Net Income	The following table presents segment profitability and a reconciliation to net income for the periods indicated: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended 2015 2014 2015 2014 (in thousands) Index adjusted EBITDA $ 102,927 $ 91,031 $ 293,997 $ 259,289 Analytics adjusted EBITDA 29,216 16,788 64,560 52,345 All Other adjusted EBITDA (3,282 ) (5,867 ) (3,774 ) (7,185 ) Total operating segment profitability 128,861 101,952 354,783 304,449 Amortization of intangible assets 11,710 11,574 35,107 34,286 Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements 8,049 6,342 23,321 18,091 Operating income 109,102 84,036 296,355 252,072 Other expense (income), net 10,060 4,040 32,237 14,462 Provision for income taxes 34,644 28,272 94,079 81,937 Income from continuing operations 64,398 51,724 170,039 155,673 Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes — (10 ) (5,797 ) 84,100 Net income $ 64,398 $ 51,714 $ 164,242 $ 239,773
Revenue by Geographic Area	Revenue by geography is based on the shipping address of the ultimate customer utilizing the product. The following table presents revenue by geographic area for the periods indicated: Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 2014 2015 2014 (in thousands) Operating revenues Americas: United States $ 128,770 $ 118,721 $ 384,443 $ 347,779 Other 10,817 9,171 31,047 27,961 Total Americas 139,587 127,892 415,490 375,740 Europe, the Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”): United Kingdom 42,249 40,104 124,645 115,961 Other 52,564 52,067 162,873 160,695 Total EMEA 94,813 92,171 287,518 276,656 Asia & Australia: Japan 11,283 11,573 33,843 35,385 Other 23,088 20,025 65,269 57,794 Total Asia & Australia 34,371 31,598 99,112 93,179 Total $ 268,771 $ 251,661 $ 802,120 $ 745,575
Long-Lived Assets by Geographic Area	The following table presents long-lived assets by geographic area on the dates indicated: As of September 30, December 31, Long-lived assets (in thousands) Americas: United States $ 1,915,001 $ 1,944,433 Other 2,430 3,293 Total Americas 1,917,431 1,947,726 EMEA: United Kingdom 113,756 120,781 Other 16,262 13,345 Total EMEA 130,018 134,126 Asia & Australia: Japan 639 837 Other 9,906 9,917 Total Asia & Australia 10,545 10,754 Total $ 2,057,994 $ 2,092,606

Introduction and Basis of Pre26

Introduction and Basis of Presentation - Additional Information (Detail) - Segment	Apr. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Introduction And Basis Of Presentation [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments	1	3
Operating Revenues [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | Blackrock Inc [Member]
Introduction And Basis Of Presentation [Line Items]
Percentage of operating revenues accounted for by major customer			10.40%	10.60%
Operating Revenues [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | Index [Member] | Blackrock Inc [Member]
Introduction And Basis Of Presentation [Line Items]
Percentage of operating revenues accounted for by major customer			19.50%	20.20%
Operating Revenues [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | Analytics [Member]
Introduction And Basis Of Presentation [Line Items]
Percentage of operating revenues accounted for by major customer			10.00%	10.00%
Operating Revenues [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member] | All Other [Member]
Introduction And Basis Of Presentation [Line Items]
Percentage of operating revenues accounted for by major customer			10.00%	10.00%
Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. [Member]
Introduction And Basis Of Presentation [Line Items]
Sale completion date			Apr. 30, 2014

Recent Accounting Standards U27

Recent Accounting Standards Updates - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Unamortized deferred financing fees	$ 23.7
Prepaid and Other Assets [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Unamortized deferred financing fees	0.6	$ 1.2
Other Non-Current Assets [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Unamortized deferred financing fees	$ 1.9	$ 10.4

Disposition and Discontinued 28

Disposition and Discontinued Operations - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sale proceeds from divestiture		$ 367,355
Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sale proceeds from divestiture	$ 367,400

Disposition and Discontinued 29

Disposition and Discontinued Operations - Schedule of Value of Assets and Liabilities Disposed (Detail) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014USD ($)
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Cash proceeds	$ 367,355
Less: Working capital adjustments	(311)
Total proceeds	367,044
Less assets sold and liabilities relieved resulting from disposal:
Cash and cash equivalents	(4,544)
Accounts receivable	(15,765)
Deferred taxes (current)	(3,174)
Prepaid taxes	(617)
Prepaid and other assets	(4,500)
Property, equipment and leasehold improvements (net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $4,213)	(8,544)
Goodwill	(254,233)
Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization of $50,283)	(121,269)
Other non-current assets	(1,645)
Accounts payable	574
Accrued compensation and related benefits	6,783
Other accrued liabilities	4,034
Deferred revenue	51,767
Deferred taxes (non-current)	59,129
Other non-current liabilities	5,576
Other comprehensive income including currency translation adjustments and pension and other post-retirement adjustments	4,004
Net assets sold	(282,424)
Less: Transaction costs	(5,946)
Gain on sale of ISS	$ 78,674

Disposition and Discontinued 30

Disposition and Discontinued Operations - Schedule of Value of Assets and Liabilities Disposed (Parenthetical) (Detail) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2014USD ($)
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Property, equipment and leasehold improvements, accumulated depreciation and amortization	$ 4,213
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization	$ 50,283

Disposition and Discontinued 31

Disposition and Discontinued Operations - Schedule of Income (Loss) Amounts Associated with Discontinued Operations (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Revenue from discontinued operations			$ 43,122
Income (loss) from discontinued operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes	$ (110)		86,254
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	(100)	$ 5,797	2,154
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	$ (10)	$ (5,797)	$ 84,100

Reclassifications out of Accu32

Reclassifications out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) - Schedule of Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Provision for income taxes	$ (34,644)	$ (28,272)	$ (94,079)	$ (81,937)
Net income	$ 64,398	51,714	$ 164,242	239,773
Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Net income		4,004		4,004
Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] | Defined Benefit Pension Plans Amount Recognized as a Component of Net Periodic Benefit Expense [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Net periodic benefit expense for curtailments and settlements		(186)		(186)
Provision for income taxes		6		6
Net income		(180)		(180)
Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] | Accumulated Foreign Currency Adjustment [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Foreign currency translation adjustment		$ 4,184		$ 4,184

Earnings Per Common Share - Add

Earnings Per Common Share - Additional Information (Detail) - shares	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS	850	104,494	283	104,346

Earnings Per Common Share - Com

Earnings Per Common Share - Computation of Basic and Diluted EPS (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Income from continuing operations, net of income taxes	$ 64,398	$ 51,724	$ 170,039	$ 155,673
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		(10)	(5,797)	84,100
Net income	64,398	51,714	164,242	239,773
Less: Allocations of earnings to unvested restricted stock units		(69)		(320)
Earnings available to MSCI common shareholders	$ 64,398	$ 51,645	$ 164,242	$ 239,453
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding	108,773	116,251	111,131	116,840
Effect of dilutive securities:
Stock options and restricted stock units	667	912	820	963
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	109,440	117,163	111,951	117,803
Earnings per basic common share from continuing operations	$ 0.59	$ 0.44	$ 1.53	$ 1.33
Earnings per basic common share from discontinued operations			(0.05)	0.72
Earnings per basic common share	0.59	0.44	1.48	2.05
Earnings per diluted common share from continuing operations	0.59	0.44	1.52	1.32
Earnings per diluted common share from discontinued operations			(0.05)	0.71
Earnings per diluted common share	$ 0.59	$ 0.44	$ 1.47	$ 2.03

Property, Equipment and Lease35

Property, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements - Schedule of Property, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Computer & related equipment	$ 136,937	$ 118,537
Furniture & fixtures	9,988	9,569
Leasehold improvements	48,918	49,756
Work-in-process	10,488	9,020
Subtotal	206,331	186,882
Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(111,367)	(92,808)
Property, equipment and leasehold improvements, net	$ 94,964	$ 94,074
Computer & Related Equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated Useful Lives	2 years
Computer & Related Equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated Useful Lives	5 years
Furniture & Fixtures [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated Useful Lives	7 years
Leasehold improvements [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated Useful Lives	1 year
Leasehold improvements [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated Useful Lives	21 years

Property, Equipment and Lease36

Property, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements	$ 8,049	$ 6,342	$ 23,321	$ 18,091

Goodwill and Intangible Asset37

Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Schedule of Change to Company's Goodwill (Detail) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015USD ($)
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill, Beginning balance	$ 1,564,904
Foreign exchange translation adjustment	(1,817)
Goodwill, Ending balance	$ 1,563,087

Goodwill and Intangible Asset38

Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 1,563,087		$ 1,563,087		$ 1,564,904
Amortization of intangible assets	11,710	$ 11,574	35,107	$ 34,286
Index [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	1,209,500		1,209,500
Analytics [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	298,300		298,300
All Other [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 55,300		$ 55,300

Goodwill and Intangible Asset39

Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Components of Intangible Assets by Major Class (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying value	$ 806,984	$ 805,837
Accumulated amortization	(407,041)	(372,209)
Net carrying value	399,943	433,628
Customer Relationships [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying value	360,835	360,835
Accumulated amortization	(137,254)	(119,058)
Net carrying value	$ 223,581	241,777
Customer Relationships [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Estimated Remaining Useful Lives	5 years
Customer Relationships [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Estimated Remaining Useful Lives	21 years
Trademarks/Trade Names [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying value	$ 223,382	223,382
Accumulated amortization	(90,487)	(81,545)
Net carrying value	$ 132,895	141,837
Trademarks/Trade Names [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Estimated Remaining Useful Lives	5 years
Trademarks/Trade Names [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Estimated Remaining Useful Lives	21 years 6 months
Technology/Software [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying value	$ 196,457	193,681
Accumulated amortization	(173,130)	(167,083)
Net carrying value	$ 23,327	26,598
Technology/Software [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Estimated Remaining Useful Lives	3 years
Technology/Software [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Estimated Remaining Useful Lives	8 years 6 months
Proprietary Data [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Estimated Remaining Useful Lives	13 years
Gross carrying value	$ 28,627	28,627
Accumulated amortization	(6,175)	(4,589)
Net carrying value	$ 22,452	24,038
Covenant Not to Compete [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Estimated Remaining Useful Lives	2 years
Gross carrying value	$ 900	900
Accumulated amortization	(525)	(187)
Net carrying value	375	713
Subtotal [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying value	810,201	807,425
Accumulated amortization	(407,571)	(372,462)
Net carrying value	402,630	434,963
Foreign Exchange Translation Adjustment [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross carrying value	(3,217)	(1,588)
Accumulated amortization	530	253
Net carrying value	$ (2,687)	$ (1,335)

Goodwill and Intangible Asset40

Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Estimated Amortization Expense for Remainder of 2015 and Succeeding Years (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Remainder 2,015	$ 11,835
2,016	47,421
2,017	42,174
2,018	39,046
2,019	37,357
Thereafter	222,110
Net carrying value	$ 399,943	$ 433,628

Commitments and Contingencies -

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions	Aug. 13, 2015	May. 21, 2015	May. 15, 2015	Sep. 19, 2014	Sep. 18, 2014	Feb. 06, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Nov. 20, 2014	Sep. 17, 2014	Feb. 04, 2014	Dec. 13, 2012
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Annual rent expense							$ 6,300,000	$ 6,300,000		$ 19,800,000	$ 19,700,000
Shares repurchases, value										$ 444,640,000	409,396,000
Common shares received										12.4
Share repurchase agreement, combined average price										$ 57.76
Shares repurchases, value							715,600,000		$ 715,600,000	$ 715,600,000
Long-term debt							1,578,849,000		1,578,849,000	1,578,849,000			$ 788,358,000
Net of deferred financing fees							21,200,000		21,200,000	21,200,000			11,600,000
Unamortized deferred financing fees							23,700,000		23,700,000	23,700,000
Amortized deferred financing fees							500,000	400,000		1,427,000	1,328,000
Amortization of discount on long-term debt								$ 100,000			$ 359,000
Unamortized debt discount outstanding													0
Fair market value of debt obligations							1,620,500,000		1,620,500,000	1,620,500,000			831,000,000
Prepaid and Other Assets [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Unamortized deferred financing fees							600,000		600,000	600,000			1,200,000
Other Non-Current Assets [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Unamortized deferred financing fees							1,900,000		1,900,000	1,900,000			$ 10,400,000
Senior Notes [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt instrument principal amount							$ 1,600,000,000		$ 1,600,000,000	$ 1,600,000,000
5.250% Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2024 [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate							5.25%		5.25%	5.25%
Maturity date										Nov. 20, 2024
Redemption description										At any time prior to November 15, 2019, the Company may redeem all or part of the 2024 Senior Notes upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days' prior notice at a redemption price equal to the sum of (i) 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus (ii) a make-whole premium as of the date of redemption, plus (iii) accrued and unpaid interest and additional interest, if any, thereon, to the date of redemption.
Percentage of aggregate principal amount redeemed										35.00%
Redemption price										105.25%
Debt instrument description										Interest on the 2024 Senior Notes accrues at a fixed rate of 5.25% per annum and is payable semiannually in arrears on May 15 and November 15 of each year, to the holders of record as of the immediately preceding May 1 and November 1.
Debt instrument, first interest payment amount			$ 20,400,000
Debt instrument, first interest payment date										May 15, 2015
5.250% Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2024 [Member] | First Private Placement [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt instrument principal amount														$ 800,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate														5.25%
Term Loan [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Outstanding indebtedness, amount														$ 794,800,000
Term Loan [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Bearing interest rate, percentage														2.25%
5.75% Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2025 [Member] | Second Private Placement [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt instrument principal amount	$ 800,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate	5.75%
Net proceeds from borrowing	$ 789,500,000
5.75% Senior Notes Due In 2025 [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate							5.75%		5.75%	5.75%
Maturity date										Aug. 15, 2025
Redemption description										At any time prior to August 15, 2020, the Company may redeem all or part of the 2025 Senior Notes upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days' prior notice at a redemption price equal to the sum of (i) 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus (ii) a make-whole premium as of the date of redemption, plus (iii) accrued and unpaid interest and additional interest, if any, thereon, to the date of redemption.
Percentage of aggregate principal amount redeemed										35.00%
Redemption price										105.75%
Debt instrument description										Interest on the 2025 Senior Notes accrues at a fixed rate of 5.75% per annum and is payable semiannually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each year, to the holders of record as of the immediately preceding February 1 and August 1.
Debt instrument, first interest payment date										Feb. 15, 2016
Derivatives not Designated as Hedging Instruments [Member] | Foreign Currency Forwards [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Foreign currency forwards, notional amount							$ 19,600,000		$ 19,600,000	$ 19,600,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing														$ 200,000,000
Revolving credit agreement, term										5 years
Revolving credit agreement, conditional description										The 2014 Revolving Credit Agreement has an initial term of five years that may be extended, at the Company's request, for two additional one year terms.
2012 Repurchase Program [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Repurchase program authorizing the purchase of shares																	$ 300,000,000
Shares repurchases, value						$ 100,000,000						$ 200,000,000
2014 Repurchase Program [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Repurchase program authorizing the purchase of shares															$ 850,000,000	$ 300,000,000
Shares repurchases, value							$ 12,100,000
Common shares received							0.2
2014 Repurchase Program [Member] | September 2014 [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Shares repurchases, value					$ 300,000,000
Common shares received		1.2		4.5
Share repurchase agreement, combined average price										$ 52.79
Accelerated share repurchase agreement, description										On September 18, 2014, as part of the 2014 Repurchase Program, the Company entered into an ASR agreement to initiate share repurchases aggregating $300.0 million (the "September 2014 ASR Agreement"). As a result of the September 2014 ASR Agreement, the Company received approximately 4.5 million shares of MSCI's common stock on September 19, 2014 and approximately 1.2 million shares of MSCI's common stock on May 21, 2015 for a combined average price of $52.79 per share.
2015 Repurchase Program [Member]
Schedule Of Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Shares repurchases, value									$ 403,400,000
Common shares received									6.5
Share repurchase agreement, combined average price									$ 62.01

Commitments and Contingencies42

Commitments and Contingencies - Schedule of Dividends Declared and Paid Cash Dividends Per Common Share (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Cash dividends declared, Per share	$ 0.22	$ 0.18	$ 0.18	$ 0.18	$ 0.58
Cash dividends declared, Amount	$ 24,152	$ 20,442	$ 20,411	$ 20,393	$ 65,005
Cash dividends paid, Per share	$ 0.22	$ 0.18	$ 0.18	$ 0.18	$ 0.58
Cash dividends paid, Amount	$ 24,152	$ 20,442	$ 20,411	$ 20,393	$ 65,005

Commitments and Contingencies43

Commitments and Contingencies - Summary of Fair Values of Derivative Instruments (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivatives not Designated as Hedging Instruments [Member] | Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member] | Other Accrued Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Liability derivatives	$ (88)	$ (243)

Commitments and Contingencies44

Commitments and Contingencies - Effect of Financial Derivatives on Statements of Income (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Derivatives not Designated as Hedging Instruments [Member] | Other Expense & Income [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives	$ (125)	$ (258)	$ 287	$ (825)

Income Taxes - Additional Infor

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Provision for income taxes	$ 34,644	$ 28,272	$ 94,079	$ 81,937
Effective tax rate			35.60%	34.50%
Amounts effect on effective tax rate	$ 700	$ 3,400	$ 700	$ 3,400
Decrease in effective tax rate				1.40%
Significant change in unrecognized tax benefits, reasonably possible			It is reasonably possible that significant changes in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits may occur within the next 12 months.
Significant change in unrecognized tax benefits, not possible			At this time, however, it is not possible to reasonably estimate the expected change to the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits and the impact on the effective tax rate over the next 12 months.
Minimum [Member]
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Tax years under examination			2,005
Maximum [Member]
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Tax years under examination			2,014
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] | New York State Division of Taxation and Finance [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Morgan Stanley [Member]
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Tax years under examination			2,007
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] | New York State Division of Taxation and Finance [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Morgan Stanley [Member]
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Tax years under examination			2,008
Domestic Tax Authority [Member] | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Morgan Stanley [Member]
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Tax years under examination			2,006
Domestic Tax Authority [Member] | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Morgan Stanley [Member]
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Tax years under examination			2,008

Segment Information - Additiona

Segment Information - Additional Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015Segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of operating segments	4

Segment Information - Operating

Segment Information - Operating Revenue by Reportable Segments (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total	$ 268,771	$ 251,661	$ 802,120	$ 745,575
Index [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total	141,577	129,869	415,262	374,429
Analytics [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total	108,341	103,247	322,756	308,661
All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total	$ 18,853	$ 18,545	$ 64,102	$ 62,485

Segment Information - Segment P

Segment Information - Segment Profitability and Reconciliation to Net Income (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Adjusted EBITDA	$ 128,861	$ 101,952	$ 354,783	$ 304,449
Amortization of intangible assets	11,710	11,574	35,107	34,286
Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and leasehold improvements	8,049	6,342	23,321	18,091
Operating income	109,102	84,036	296,355	252,072
Other expense (income), net	10,060	4,040	32,237	14,462
Provision for income taxes	34,644	28,272	94,079	81,937
Income from continuing operations	64,398	51,724	170,039	155,673
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		(10)	(5,797)	84,100
Net income	64,398	51,714	164,242	239,773
Index [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Adjusted EBITDA	102,927	91,031	293,997	259,289
Analytics [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Adjusted EBITDA	29,216	16,788	64,560	52,345
All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Adjusted EBITDA	$ (3,282)	$ (5,867)	$ (3,774)	$ (7,185)

Segment Information - Revenue b

Segment Information - Revenue by Geographic Area (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating revenues	$ 268,771	$ 251,661	$ 802,120	$ 745,575
United States [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating revenues	128,770	118,721	384,443	347,779
Other [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating revenues	10,817	9,171	31,047	27,961
Total Americas [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating revenues	139,587	127,892	415,490	375,740
United Kingdom [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating revenues	42,249	40,104	124,645	115,961
Other [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating revenues	52,564	52,067	162,873	160,695
Europe, the Middle East and Africa ("EMEA") [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating revenues	94,813	92,171	287,518	276,656
Japan [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating revenues	11,283	11,573	33,843	35,385
Other [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating revenues	23,088	20,025	65,269	57,794
Total Asia & Australia [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating revenues	$ 34,371	$ 31,598	$ 99,112	$ 93,179

Segment Information - Long-Live

Segment Information - Long-Lived Assets by Geographic Area (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	$ 2,057,994	$ 2,092,606
United States [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	1,915,001	1,944,433
Other [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	2,430	3,293
Total Americas [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	1,917,431	1,947,726
United Kingdom [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	113,756	120,781
Other [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	16,262	13,345
Total EMEA [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	130,018	134,126
Japan [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	639	837
Other [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	9,906	9,917
Total Asia & Australia [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	$ 10,545	$ 10,754

Subsequent Events - Additional

Subsequent Events - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	Oct. 28, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Quarterly dividend declared		$ 0.22	$ 0.18	$ 0.18	$ 0.18	$ 0.58
Subsequent Events [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Quarterly dividend declared	$ 0.22
Quarterly dividend declared date	Oct. 28, 2015
Quarterly dividend payable date	Nov. 30, 2015
Quarterly dividend record date	Nov. 17, 2015
Subsequent Events [Member] | 2015 Repurchase Program [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Repurchase program authorizing the purchase of shares	$ 1,000,000,000