Which is better, HLNE or MSCI?

On the Buffett-Fit framework, MSCI Inc. (MSCI) currently grades higher than HLNE — 80/100 (A grade) vs 76/100 (C). That said, "better" depends on which framework you trust — HLNE wins on none; MSCI wins on Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Philip Fisher, Peter Lynch, Joel Greenblatt, Charlie Munger, and Terry Smith. The full pillar breakdown is on this page.

Should I buy HLNE or MSCI?

This page is an educational comparison, not investment advice. Both HLNE and MSCI are graded against the same Buffett 5-pillar framework (moat, earnings durability, management quality, financial health, valuation) plus six other documented investor frameworks. Read the side-by-side breakdown to see which one matches the criteria you care about most — and always do your own research before making any investment decision.

Is HLNE better than MSCI for value investing?

The two are close on the headline Buffett-Fit score (76/100 vs 80/100), so "better for value investing" depends on which pillar you weight most. The five Buffett pillars + six other frameworks are broken down side-by-side on this page so you can pick the one that fits your style.

What's the difference between HLNE and MSCI on Warren Buffett's framework?

Both stocks are evaluated on the same five pillars: economic moat (durable competitive advantage), earnings durability (consistent profitability), management quality (capital allocation), financial health (conservative balance sheet), and valuation (margin of safety). HLNE currently scores 76/100 (C grade); MSCI scores 80/100 (A grade). The "Where each wins" section on this page breaks down which pillar each stock dominates.

Which has the stronger moat, HLNE or MSCI?

Moat strength is one of the five pillars in the Buffett-Fit score on this page. HLNE and MSCI are each scored on ROIC sustainability, gross-margin durability, and qualitative signals like brand strength, switching costs, network effects, and regulatory barriers. The pillar breakdown on this page shows the moat sub-score side-by-side so you can see which one has the more durable competitive advantage.

Which is more undervalued, HLNE or MSCI?

Valuation is one of the five Buffett-Fit pillars on this page. Both stocks are scored on owner-earnings yield, price-to-intrinsic-value vs the underlying compounding rate, and the margin of safety relative to a conservative DCF. The valuation sub-score in the table below tells you which one currently trades at a more attractive price relative to its underlying business quality.

Are HLNE and MSCI both Financial Services stocks?

Yes — both Hamilton Lane Incorporated (HLNE) and MSCI Inc. (MSCI) operate in the Financial Services sector. That makes this a direct sector-peer comparison, which is the apples-to-apples way to use the Buffett-Fit framework: the score weighs each stock against its sector's specific quality and valuation benchmarks (sector-relative bonus), so the cross-stock comparison isn't distorted by inter-sector base-rate differences.

Is this HLNE vs MSCI comparison investment advice?

No. This page is an educational pattern-match against documented public frameworks (Buffett, Graham, Fisher, Lynch, Greenblatt, Munger, Smith), not personalised investment advice. The scores reflect how closely each stock matches each framework's documented criteria — they are not buy/hold/sell recommendations. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial adviser for personalised advice.

Stock comparison

Hamilton Lane

MSCI

Scored across Buffett, Graham, Lynch and Greenblatt - plus a side-by-side metric table covering valuation, quality, growth and balance sheet.

HLNE

Hamilton Lane

Market cap

$4.94B

Sector

Financials

MSCI

Market cap

$42.39B

Sector

Financials

Overall winner

MSCI MSCI

Wins on the combined sum of fit scores across all four strategies. Per-strategy breakdown below.

Fit scores by strategy

Strategy	HLNE	MSCI	Winner
Warren Buffett	76C	80A	MSCI
Benjamin Graham	65B	71B	MSCI
Philip Fisher	77C	82A	MSCI
Peter Lynch	53C	70B	MSCI
Joel Greenblatt	43D	80A	MSCI
Charlie Munger	73B	87C	MSCI
Terry Smith	76B	88C	MSCI

Side-by-side metrics

Metric	HLNE	MSCI
Market cap	$4.94B	$42.39B
P/E (TTM)	14.1x	31.2x
EV/EBIT	15.7x	27.5x
ROIC (TTM)	14.52%	38.53%
Gross margin	69.23%	82.86%
Net margin	30.59%	40.74%
Revenue CAGR 5y	20.19%	11.29%
EPS CAGR 5y	17.91%	15.35%
Debt / Equity	0.4x	-
Dividend yield	2.44%	1.37%

Where each one wins

The metrics with the biggest gap between the two - sorted so the most decisive edges read first.

HLNE leads on

P/E (TTM)14.1xvs 31.2x+55%
Revenue CAGR 5y20.19%vs 11.29%+44%
Dividend yield2.44%vs 1.37%+44%
EV/EBIT15.7xvs 27.5x+43%

MSCI leads on

Debt / Equity-vs 0.4x+117%
Market cap$42.39Bvs $4.94B+88%
ROIC (TTM)38.53%vs 14.52%+62%
Net margin40.74%vs 30.59%+25%

More like HLNE

HLNE vs ING.WA HLNE vs PKO.WA HLNE vs PEO.WA HLNE vs SPL.WA HLNE vs ICICIBANK.NS HLNE vs V

More like MSCI

MSCI vs ING.WA MSCI vs PKO.WA MSCI vs PEO.WA MSCI vs SPL.WA MSCI vs ICICIBANK.NS MSCI vs V

Read the full Buffett-Brain analysis for HLNE Read the full Buffett-Brain analysis for MSCI

Related on invest-like

Strongest Moat Highest ROIC Warren Buffett strategy Economic Moat

Key terms in this analysis

ROIC Free Cash Flow (FCF)Economic Moat P/E Ratio Margin of Safety Quality Score

Educational tool. Fit scores are deterministic projections from public financials onto each investor's published criteria - not personal recommendations or advice.

Stock comparison

Hamilton Lane

MSCI

Scored across Buffett, Graham, Lynch and Greenblatt - plus a side-by-side metric table covering valuation, quality, growth and balance sheet.

HLNE

Hamilton Lane

Market cap

$4.94B

Sector

Financials

MSCI

Market cap

$42.39B

Sector

Financials

Overall winner

MSCI MSCI

Wins on the combined sum of fit scores across all four strategies. Per-strategy breakdown below.

Fit scores by strategy

Strategy	HLNE	MSCI	Winner
Warren Buffett	76C	80A	MSCI
Benjamin Graham	65B	71B	MSCI
Philip Fisher	77C	82A	MSCI
Peter Lynch	53C	70B	MSCI
Joel Greenblatt	43D	80A	MSCI
Charlie Munger	73B	87C	MSCI
Terry Smith	76B	88C	MSCI

Side-by-side metrics

Metric	HLNE	MSCI
Market cap	$4.94B	$42.39B
P/E (TTM)	14.1x	31.2x
EV/EBIT	15.7x	27.5x
ROIC (TTM)	14.52%	38.53%
Gross margin	69.23%	82.86%
Net margin	30.59%	40.74%
Revenue CAGR 5y	20.19%	11.29%
EPS CAGR 5y	17.91%	15.35%
Debt / Equity	0.4x	-
Dividend yield	2.44%	1.37%

Where each one wins

The metrics with the biggest gap between the two - sorted so the most decisive edges read first.

HLNE leads on

P/E (TTM)14.1xvs 31.2x+55%
Revenue CAGR 5y20.19%vs 11.29%+44%
Dividend yield2.44%vs 1.37%+44%
EV/EBIT15.7xvs 27.5x+43%

MSCI leads on

Debt / Equity-vs 0.4x+117%
Market cap$42.39Bvs $4.94B+88%
ROIC (TTM)38.53%vs 14.52%+62%
Net margin40.74%vs 30.59%+25%

More like HLNE

HLNE vs ING.WA HLNE vs PKO.WA HLNE vs PEO.WA HLNE vs SPL.WA HLNE vs ICICIBANK.NS HLNE vs V

More like MSCI

MSCI vs ING.WA MSCI vs PKO.WA MSCI vs PEO.WA MSCI vs SPL.WA MSCI vs ICICIBANK.NS MSCI vs V

Read the full Buffett-Brain analysis for HLNE Read the full Buffett-Brain analysis for MSCI

Related on invest-like

Strongest Moat Highest ROIC Warren Buffett strategy Economic Moat

Key terms in this analysis

ROIC Free Cash Flow (FCF)Economic Moat P/E Ratio Margin of Safety Quality Score

Educational tool. Fit scores are deterministic projections from public financials onto each investor's published criteria - not personal recommendations or advice.