MSCI and NSE Sign Strategic Agreement to Develop Co-branded Indexes


MSCI and The Nigerian Stock Exchange Sign Strategic Agreement

to Develop and Commercialize Co-branded Indexes

Lagos - March 23, 2015 - MSCI Inc.(NYSE: MSCI), a leading provider of investment decision support tools worldwide, and The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the stock exchange servicing the largest economy in Africa, today announced a strategic co-operation agreement to develop and market a co- branded family of indexes for the Nigerian equity markets.

Existing and future indexes will be co-branded as the MSCI/NSE Indexes, including the flagship NSE 30

Index and NSE 50 Index, which will become the MSCI/NSE 30 Index and the MSCI/NSE 50 Index, respectively. Additional indexes will also be jointly developed and launched in the future based on client demand and market development. The indexes will be used as performance benchmarks and as the basis for index-linked products for investors seeking exposure to the Nigerian capital markets.

"As the largest economy in Africa, Nigeria is increasingly positioning itself at the center of the development of the region's capital markets," said Baer Pettit, Managing Director and Head of MSCI's Product Group. "MSCI is very proud to establish a strategic relationship with The Nigerian Stock Exchange, and we look forward to working with them to raise the profile of these indexes around the world. The combination of MSCI's emerging and frontier markets index expertise and NSE's position as one of the leading exchanges in the region will, we believe, deliver high quality indexes for both international and domestic investors."

Oscar N. Onyema, CEO, NSE, said, "We are proud to collaborate with MSCI, one of the top and most- respected index providers for global stock markets. Our collaboration provides the global investing public, listed companies and other stakeholders in the Nigerian market access to MSCI's high quality products and internationally recognized brand. The Nigerian Stock Exchange, in cooperation with MSCI, will continue to innovate and bring products to market that will increase the sophistication of African markets, and continue to establish Nigeria as the market for entrepreneurial growth."

The MSCI/NSE Indexes will be calculated and disseminated by MSCI, based on the same industry leading standards that apply to the MSCI indexes. MSCI will commercialize the indexes outside of Nigeria while the NSE will continue to serve clients in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange is the largest exchange in Africa by volume traded, currently trading an average of 437.4 million shares daily. With 253 listed securities, the NSE's total market capitalization is USD 90.67bn.

Source: The Nigeria Stock Exchange, as at December 31, 2014

-Ends-

About MSCI

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

1 of 3


The company's flagship product offerings are: the MSCI indexes with over USD 9.5 trillion estimated to be benchmarked to them on a worldwide basis2; Barra multi-asset class factor models, portfolio risk and performance analytics; RiskMetrics multi- asset class market and credit risk analytics; IPD real estate information, indexes and analytics; MSCI ESG (environmental, social and governance) Research screening, analysis and ratings; and FEA valuation models and risk management software for the

energy and commodities markets. MSCI is headquartered in New York, with research and commercial offices around the world.

2As of June 30, 2014, as reported on September 30, 2014, by eVestment, Morningstar and Bloomberg

For further information on MSCI, please visit our web site at www.msci.com

About NSE

The Nigerian Stock Exchange services the largest economy in Africa, and is championing the development of Africa's financial markets. The Exchange offers listing and trading services, licensing services, market data solutions, ancillary technology services, and more. The Nigerian Stock Exchange continues to evolve to meet the needs of its valued customers, and to achieve the highest level of competitiveness. It is an open, professional and vibrant exchange, and the Entrepreneurial Growth hub of Africa. The Nigerian Stock Exchange aspires to be Africa's foremost securities exchange, connecting Nigeria, Africa and the world.

For further information on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, please visit our web site at www.nse.com.ng

Media Enquiries:

Paul Griffin, MSCI, London + 44.20.7618.2594

Kristin Meza, MSCI, New York + 1.212.804.5330

Yvonne Emordi, NSE, Lagos + 234.808.034.7840

Clifford Akpolo, NSE, Lagos + 234.803.844.4191

Nick Denton | Christian Pickel, MHP Communications, London + 44.20.3128.8754/8208


This document and all of the information contained in it, including without limitation all text, data, graphs, charts (collec tively, the "Information") is the property of MSCI Inc. or its subsidiaries (collectively, "MSCI"), or MSCI's licensors, direct or indirect suppliers or any third party involved in making or compiling any Information (collectively, with MSCI, the "Information Providers") and is provided for informational purposes only. The Information may not be modified, reverse-engineered, reproduced or redisseminated in whole or in part without prior written permission from MSCI.
The Information may not be used to create derivative works or to verify or correct other data or information. For example ( but without limitation), the Information may not be used to create indexes, databases, risk models, analytics, software, or in connection with the issuing, offering, spon soring, managing or marketing of any securities, portfolios, financial products or other investment vehicles utilizing or based on, linked to, tracking or otherwise derived from the Information or any other MSCI data, information, products or services.
The user of the Information assumes the entire risk of any use it may make or permit to be made of the Information. NONE OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDERS MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION (OR THE RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE USE THEREOF), AND TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EACH INFORMATION PROVIDER EXPRESSLY DIS CLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, NON -INFRINGEMENT, COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE) WITH RESPECT TO ANY OF THE INFORMATION.
Without limiting any of the foregoing and to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall any Information Provid er have any liability regarding any of the Information for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential (including lost profits) or any other damages even if notified of the possibility of such damages. The foregoing shall not exclude or limit any liability that may not by applicable law be exclude d or limited, including without limitation (as applicable), any liability for death or personal injury to the extent that such injury results from the negligence or willful default of itself, its servant s, agents or sub-contractors.
Information containing any historical information, data or analysis should not be taken as an indi cation or guarantee of any future performance, analysis, forecast or prediction. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
The Information should not be relied on and is not a substitute for the skill, judgment and experience of the user, its management, employees, advisors and/or clients when making investment and other business decisions. All Information is impersonal and not tailored to the needs of any person, entity or group of persons.
None of the Information constitutes an offer to sell (or a solicitation of an offer to buy), any security, financial product or other investment vehicle or any trading strategy.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Exposure to an asset class or trading strategy or other category represented by an index is only available through third party investable instruments (if any) based on that index. MSCI does not issue, sponsor, endorse, market, offer, review or otherwise express any opinion regarding any fund, ETF, derivative or other security, investment, financial product or trading strategy that is based on, linked to or seeks to provide an investment return related to the performance of any MSCI index (collectively, "Index Linked Investments"). MSCI makes no assurance that any Index Linked Investments will

2 of 3



accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. MSCI Inc. is not an investment adviser or fiduciary and MSCI makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in any Index Linked Investments.
Index returns do not represent the results of actual trading of investible assets/securities. MSCI maintains and calculates indexes, but does not manage actual assets. Index returns do not reflect payment of any sales charges or fees an investor may pay to purchase the securities underlying the index or Index Linked Investments. The imposition of these fees and charges would cause the performance of an Index Linked Investment to be different than the MSCI index performance.
The Information may contain back tested data. Back-tested performance is not actual performance, but is hypothetical. There are frequently material differences between back tested performance results and actual results subsequently achieved by any investment strategy.
Constituents of MSCI equity indexes are listed companies, which are included in or excluded from the indexes according to the application of the relevant index methodologies. Accordingly, constituents in MSCI equity indexes may include MSCI Inc., clients of MSCI or suppli ers to MSCI. Inclusion of a security within an MSCI index is not a recommendation by MSCI to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it considered to be investment advice.
Data and information produced by various affiliates of MSCI Inc., including MSCI E SG Research Inc. and Barra LLC, may be used in calculating certain MSCI equity indexes. More information can be found in the relevant standard equity index methodologies on www.msci.com.
MSCI receives compensation in connection with licensing its indexes to third parties. MSCI Inc.'s revenue includes fees based on assets in investment products linked to MSCI equity indexes. Information can be found in MSCI's company filings on the Investor Relations section of www.msci.com.
MSCI ESG Research Inc. is a Registered Investment Adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and a subsidiary of MSCI Inc. Except with respect to any applicable products or services from MSCI ESG Research, neither MSCI nor any of its products or services recommends, endorses, approves or otherwise expresses any opinion regarding any issuer, securities, financial products or instruments or trading strategies and neither MSCI nor an y of its products or services is intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make (or refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as su ch. Issuers mentioned or included in any MSCI ESG Research materials may include MSCI Inc., clients of MSCI or suppliers to MSCI, a nd may also purchase research or other products or services from MSCI ESG Research. MSCI ESG Research materials, including materials utilized in any MSCI ESG Indexes or other products, have not been submitted to, nor received approval from, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body.
Any use of or access to products, services or information of MSCI requires a license from MSCI. MSCI, Barra, RiskMetrics, IP D, FEA, InvestorForce, and other MSCI brands and product names are the trademarks, service marks, or registered trademarks of MSCI or its subsidiaries in the United States and other jurisd ictions. The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) was developed by and is the exclusive property of MSCI and Standard & Poor's. "Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)" is a service mark of MSCI and Standard & Poor's.

3 of 3

distributed by