Which is better, MSCI or ROOT?

On the Buffett-Fit framework, MSCI Inc. (MSCI) currently grades higher than ROOT — 80/100 (A grade) vs 32/100 (F). That said, "better" depends on which framework you trust — MSCI wins on Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Philip Fisher, Peter Lynch, Joel Greenblatt, Charlie Munger, and Terry Smith; ROOT wins on none. The full pillar breakdown is on this page.

Should I buy MSCI or ROOT?

This page is an educational comparison, not investment advice. Both MSCI and ROOT 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 MSCI better than ROOT for value investing?

On the Buffett-style value-investing framework, MSCI currently grades higher — 80/100 vs 32/100, a 48-point gap. The gap is driven by which pillars each stock passes; the table on this page shows moat, durability, management, financial health, and valuation side-by-side.

What's the difference between MSCI and ROOT 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). MSCI currently scores 80/100 (A grade); ROOT scores 32/100 (F grade). The "Where each wins" section on this page breaks down which pillar each stock dominates.

Which has the stronger moat, MSCI or ROOT?

Moat strength is one of the five pillars in the Buffett-Fit score on this page. MSCI and ROOT 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, MSCI or ROOT?

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 MSCI and ROOT both Financial Services stocks?

Yes — both MSCI Inc. (MSCI) and Root, Inc. (ROOT) 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 MSCI vs ROOT 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

MSCI

Root

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

MSCI

Market cap

$42.85B

Sector

Financials

ROOT

Root

Market cap

$804.47M

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	MSCI	ROOT	Winner
Warren Buffett	80A	32F	MSCI
Benjamin Graham	71B	26F	MSCI
Philip Fisher	82A	30F	MSCI
Peter Lynch	70B	57C	MSCI
Joel Greenblatt	80A	16F	MSCI
Charlie Munger	87C	18F	MSCI
Terry Smith	88C	20F	MSCI

Side-by-side metrics

Metric	MSCI	ROOT
Market cap	$42.85B	$804.47M
P/E (TTM)	31.2x	15.6x
EV/EBIT	27.5x	9.8x
ROIC (TTM)	38.53%	3.74%
Gross margin	82.86%	28.62%
Net margin	40.74%	3.7%
Revenue CAGR 5y	11.29%	44.77%
EPS CAGR 5y	15.35%	-
Debt / Equity	-	0.5x
Dividend yield	1.37%	0.0%

Where each one wins

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

MSCI leads on

Debt / Equity-vs 0.5x+119%
Dividend yield1.37%vs 0.0%+100%
Market cap$42.85Bvs $804.47M+98%
Net margin40.74%vs 3.7%+91%

ROOT leads on

Revenue CAGR 5y44.77%vs 11.29%+75%
EV/EBIT9.8xvs 27.5x+64%
P/E (TTM)15.6xvs 31.2x+50%

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

More like ROOT

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

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

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

MSCI

Root

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

MSCI

Market cap

$42.85B

Sector

Financials

ROOT

Root

Market cap

$804.47M

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	MSCI	ROOT	Winner
Warren Buffett	80A	32F	MSCI
Benjamin Graham	71B	26F	MSCI
Philip Fisher	82A	30F	MSCI
Peter Lynch	70B	57C	MSCI
Joel Greenblatt	80A	16F	MSCI
Charlie Munger	87C	18F	MSCI
Terry Smith	88C	20F	MSCI

Side-by-side metrics

Metric	MSCI	ROOT
Market cap	$42.85B	$804.47M
P/E (TTM)	31.2x	15.6x
EV/EBIT	27.5x	9.8x
ROIC (TTM)	38.53%	3.74%
Gross margin	82.86%	28.62%
Net margin	40.74%	3.7%
Revenue CAGR 5y	11.29%	44.77%
EPS CAGR 5y	15.35%	-
Debt / Equity	-	0.5x
Dividend yield	1.37%	0.0%

Where each one wins

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

MSCI leads on

Debt / Equity-vs 0.5x+119%
Dividend yield1.37%vs 0.0%+100%
Market cap$42.85Bvs $804.47M+98%
Net margin40.74%vs 3.7%+91%

ROOT leads on

Revenue CAGR 5y44.77%vs 11.29%+75%
EV/EBIT9.8xvs 27.5x+64%
P/E (TTM)15.6xvs 31.2x+50%

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

More like ROOT

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

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

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.