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Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®)


The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) was developed by MSCI, a premier independent provider of global indices and benchmark-related products and services, and Standard & Poor’s (S&P), an independent international financial data and investment services company and a leading provider of global equity indices.

The GICS classifications aim to enhance the investment research and asset management process for financial professionals worldwide. It is the result of numerous discussions with asset owners, portfolio managers and investment analysts around the world and is designed to respond to the global financial community’s need for an accurate, complete and standard industry definition.

The GICS structure consists of 10 sectors, 24 industry groups, 68 industries and 154 sub-industries.

The GICS structure is:

- Universal: The classification applies to companies globally.
- Accurate: The structure accurately reflects the state of industries in the equity investment universe.
- Flexible: The structure offers four levels of analysis, ranging from the most general sector to the most specialized sub-industry.
- Evolving: Annual reviews are conducted by MSCI and Standard & Poor's to ensure that the structure remains fully representative of the universe.

The GICS methodology has been widely accepted as an industry analysis framework for investment research, portfolio management and asset allocation. Its universal approach to industries worldwide has contributed to transparency and efficiency in the investment process. In addition, the current trend towards sector-based investing has also greatly benefited from the GICS methodology.


GICS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

GICS DirectSM, a joint product of MSCI Barra and Standard & Poor's is a database of more than 37,000 companies (and over 42,000 securities) classified in accordance with the GICS methodology. GICS Direct is available via file transfer protocol (FTP) and major data vendors.


Global Sector Indices. For information on MSCI Global Sector Indices, click here.

Sector Fund Creation. MSCI sector indices are fully consistent across geographical markets and industries making them ideal for use in both exchange traded funds and index funds aiming to represent a range of investment alternatives. For more information, visit the licensed products area.
For more information on the GICS methodology and the associated products and services, please contact your MSCI Coverage Officer or MSCI Client Service.
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