Market Cap Indexes
Our market cap indexes originated in 1969 with the first international performance benchmarks1 and have shaped how investors measure global equity markets ever since. Spanning developed, emerging and frontier markets, from global aggregates like MSCI ACWI® to regional, country and size-segment building blocks, our flagship indexes are built on the MSCI Global Investable Market Indexes GIMI methodology.
Target benefitsMeasure any market, in any size.
Measure without gaps or overlaps
Track developed, emerging and frontier markets on one consistent basis with our GIMI™ methodology.
Build on decades of index heritage
Draw on more than five decades of equity index construction, providing a single reference across benchmarking, indexed products and analysis.
Combine markets and sizes
Combine regions, countries and size segments across our Investable Market Index architecture to reflect the strategy you’re benchmarking or building.
Inside MSCI’s index construction
With a global universe of over 60,000 eligible securities, how does our methodology identify which securities to include?
Our Global Investable Market Indexes, based on a disciplined and replicable approach, help map and categorize the stock market so you can make better investment decisions.
How clients use our market cap indexes
Serve as the underlying reference for ETFs, mutual funds, SMAs, structured products and derivatives, across global, regional and single-country markets.
Combine global, regional, country and size indexes to construct models and portfolios that reflect your investment view.
Serve as consistent references for evaluating active equity portfolios across markets, regions and size segments.
Break down performance and risk by country, sector, size and style using a consistent global framework.
Explore market cap indexes
MSCI ACWI IMI™ Index
Our flagship global equity index, spanning developed and emerging markets in a single framework.
Developed Markets
Reflect equity market performance across the world's most established markets, from global indexes to regional, country, size and sector exposures.
Emerging Markets
Track equity opportunities across emerging markets at global, regional, country, size and sector level.
Frontier Markets
Cover the next generation of investable equity markets through indexes anchored in MSCI's market classification framework.
Latest research insights
Markets in Motion
Stay ahead of global market trends with timely research-based insights, expert commentary and data, including our Chart of the Week.
Market Concentration and the Global Index Opportunity Set
We examine how MSCI’s GIMI™ methodology has adapted to market concentration, and flex four methodology dimensions to gauge how those scenarios affect breadth, liquidity, size integrity and resilience.
Why MSCI Market Classification Matters
See how return drivers and investment costs diverge across developed, emerging and frontier markets — and why it matters.
Managing Benchmark Concentration: A Framework for Asset Allocators
Global equity indexes are more concentrated than at any point in the last five decades. Our framework helps asset allocators identify, assess and manage concentration risk.
How Megacap IPOs in 2026 Could Reshape Global Benchmarks
Potential megacap IPOs in 2026 could reshape global benchmarks, increasing U.S. weight, shifting sectors toward software and aerospace and triggering billions in index flows.
Explore Market Cap IndexesView performance details, fact sheets and more
These Additional Terms of Use govern your access or use of the index data and related information and materials on the MSCI web site ("Index Data"). Initial and subsequent access and use of the MSCI web site and Index Data is subject to these Additional Terms of Use.
The Index Data is for informational, non-commercial purposes only, and the user of the information contained in the Index Data assumes the entire risk of any use made of the Index Data. You understand and agree that the Index Data is provided "as is" and MSCI does not warrant the accuracy, completeness, non-infringement, originality, timeliness or any other characteristic of the Index Data.
The Index Data is not an offer or recommendation to buy or sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security or instrument or to participate in any particular trading strategy. Further, none of the Index Data 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 such. Historical data and analysis should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of any future performance, analysis, forecast or prediction. Reproduction, redistribution or any other form of copying or transmission of the Index Data without MSCI's prior written consent is strictly prohibited. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Index Data and other MSCI intellectual property you access via the MSCI web site may not, without MSCI's prior written permission, be used as a basis for any financial instruments or products (including, without limitation, passively managed funds and index-linked derivative securities) or other products or services, or used to verify or correct data in any other compilation of data or index, or used to create any other data or index (custom or otherwise), or used to create any derivative works, or used for any other commercial purposes.
For further details,
Index-Linked ETPs
Discover MSCI indexes underlying exchange-traded products (ETPs) to power your investment strategy.
Quarterly Index Review
See the latest index changes, constituent additions and deletions across the market cap suite.
Market Classification
Learn about our index market classification framework and how it is reviewed.
1 Source: https://www.msci.com/web/msci/equities