How does MSCI's private markets suite compare to competing solutions from Bloomberg, Preqin, and S&P Global in terms of coverage and depth? | MSCI (Aug 06, 2025) | Candlesense
MSCI

How does MSCI's private markets suite compare to competing solutions from Bloomberg, Preqin, and S&P Global in terms of coverage and depth?

MSC I’s Private‑Markets Suite vs. Bloomberg, Preqin and S&P Global – Coverage & Depth

Dimension MSCI (Private Asset & Deal Metrics + RCA Funds) Bloomberg (Bloomberg Terminal / Bloomberg Data‑License) Preqin (Preqin Data‑Products & Platform) S&P Global (S&P Capital IQ, S&P Market Intelligence)
Core focus End‑to‑end analytics for General Partners (GPs) – private‑company fundamentals, deal‑level performance, and commercial‑real‑estate capital‑allocation. Broad market‑data platform – real‑time pricing, news, public‑equity and macro data; private‑market data is an add‑on module. Primary source for fundraising, fund‑performance, and limited‑partner data across private‑equity, venture, real‑estate, infrastructure. Core strength in credit, public‑market and macro data; private‑market coverage is expanding (e.g., Private Equity, Real‑Estate, Infrastructure) but remains more “high‑level”.
Coverage breadth • Private‑company fundamentals for > 30,000 global private firms (incl. start‑ups, growth‑stage, mature).
• Deal‑level metrics for > 200,000 private‑equity, venture‑capital and M&A transactions.
• Commercial‑real‑estate: > 10,000 property‑level assets, fund‑level holdings, and capital‑flow data.
• Global reach (North America, Europe, APAC, LATAM, Middle East & Africa).		 • Public‑equity coverage (all exchanges).
• Private‑market modules (e.g., Bloomberg Private Equity, Bloomberg Real‑Estate) cover ~10‑15 k private firms and ~50‑k transactions – more limited than MSCI’s dedicated private‑company database.
• Strong real‑time news & pricing for public markets; private‑market data is less granular.		 • Fund‑raising: > 5 k PE/VC/Real‑Estate funds, > 10 k LPs.
• Performance: vintage‑year returns, IRR, DPI for > 4 k funds.
• Deal‑level: ~ 30‑40 k private‑equity transactions (focus on capital‑raised amounts, not full company‑level fundamentals).
• Primarily fund‑centric rather than company‑centric.		 • Credit & public‑market: > 100 k public entities, > 30 k private‑equity and real‑estate issuers (mostly listed or large‑cap).
• Deal‑level: ~ 50‑k private‑equity transactions (high‑level deal size, limited company‑level KPIs).
• Growing coverage of private‑market benchmarks but still less extensive than MSCI’s dedicated private‑company database.
Depth of data (granularity & analytics) • Company‑level fundamentals: revenue, EBITDA, cash‑flow, employee count, ownership, board, ESG scores – all at the private‑company level.
• Deal‑level metrics: transaction price, valuation multiples, financing structure, secondary‑market activity, exit outcomes, time‑to‑liquidity.
• Real‑Capital Analytics (RCA) Funds: property‑level rent, occupancy, NOI, cap‑rates, geographic and sector segmentation, fund‑level cash‑flow modeling.
• Benchmarking & peer‑group analytics built into the platform for GPs to compare fund performance, portfolio composition, and capital‑allocation efficiency.
• Investor‑engagement tools: data‑rooms, custom reporting, LP‑facing dashboards, scenario‑modeling for capital‑formation strategies.		 • Financials: public‑company filings, limited private‑company fundamentals (mostly high‑level revenue/valuation).
• Deal data: transaction size, round, lead investors – but often missing detailed financial ratios, cash‑flow, or ESG.
• Analytics: strong macro‑economics, pricing, and risk‑metrics for public markets; private‑market analytics are more “snapshot” and less integrated with GP‑specific benchmarking.		 • Fund‑centric depth: capital‑raised, commitments, distributions, performance metrics (IRR, DPI, TVPI).
• Deal‑level: limited to amount raised, investor list, and vintage year – no deep company‑financials or property‑level metrics.
• Analytics: fundraising trends, LP‑GP matching, performance benchmarking across funds; lacks granular company‑level operational data.		 • Credit‑centric depth: detailed financial statements for public issuers, high‑grade credit metrics.
• Private‑market depth: high‑level transaction size, fund‑size, and limited financial ratios; property‑level data is more aggregated (e.g., total square‑footage, average rent).
• Analytics: strong credit‑risk models, macro‑scenario analysis; private‑market analytics are more “top‑line” and less focused on GP‑level decision‑making.
User‑targeting & workflow integration • Built specifically for General Partners – enables fund‑strategy design, LP‑communication, and portfolio‑monitoring.
• Direct integration with fund‑administration, reporting, and capital‑raising workflows (e.g., data‑room feeds, API for LP portals).		 • Primarily serves public‑market analysts, traders, and multi‑asset managers. Private‑market modules are an add‑on for investment‑bankers or asset‑managers but lack the GP‑centric workflow. • Serves LPs, fund‑of‑funds, and placement‑agents – focus on fund‑raising intelligence rather than GP operational analytics. • Serves credit analysts, investment‑bankers, and corporate‑finance teams – private‑market data is a supplement for valuation and M&A but not a core GP tool.
Differentiating advantage • Unified private‑company + deal + real‑estate data in a single analytics engine – the most comprehensive “private‑asset” coverage on the market today.
• Depth of company‑level financials (cash‑flow, EBITDA, balance‑sheet) for private firms that competitors typically do not capture.
• GP‑focused benchmarking & LP‑engagement tools that turn raw data into actionable capital‑formation strategies.		 • Best for real‑time market data, news, and public‑equity analytics; private‑market coverage is a secondary offering. • Industry‑standard for fund‑raising and performance data; however, it does not provide the same company‑level granularity or integrated real‑estate metrics. • Strong credit‑risk and macro analytics; private‑market coverage is expanding but still shallower than MSCI’s dedicated private‑markets suite.

Bottom‑Line Comparison

Aspect MSCI Bloomberg Preqin S&P Global
Overall coverage breadth Broadest – thousands of private companies, hundreds of thousands of deals, and detailed real‑estate assets across all major regions. Moderate – private‑market modules cover fewer firms and deals; primary strength remains public‑market data. Narrower – fund‑centric, strong on fundraising & performance but limited on company‑level details. Moderate – expanding private‑market coverage but still more high‑level than MSCI’s depth.
Data depth (granularity) Deepest – full financial statements, cash‑flow, valuation multiples, ESG, property‑level metrics, and built‑in benchmarking. Shallow – mainly deal size, round, and limited financials; lacks comprehensive private‑company fundamentals. Shallow – focuses on capital‑raised, commitments, and fund performance; minimal company‑level financials. Shallow to moderate – strong credit data for public firms; private‑market data is aggregated and less granular.
Target user General Partners, fund managers, and LP‑engagement teams needing end‑to‑end private‑asset analytics. Public‑market analysts, traders, and multi‑asset managers; private‑market users are secondary. LPs, fund‑of‑funds, placement agents, and capital‑raising professionals. Credit analysts, investment‑bankers, corporate‑finance teams; private‑market users are supplemental.
Unique capability Integrated Private Asset & Deal Metrics + Real Capital Analytics that combine company‑level, deal‑level, and property‑level data with GP‑centric scenario and reporting tools. Unmatched real‑time pricing, news, and macro data for public markets; private‑market add‑ons are less integrated. Best‑in‑class fund‑raising intelligence and performance benchmarking for PE/VC/Real‑Estate funds. Industry‑leading credit‑risk models and macro‑analytics; private‑market data is an expanding but still secondary offering.

How MSCI’s Suite Stands Out

  1. Holistic Private‑Asset Coverage – By merging private‑company fundamentals, private‑equity/venture‑capital deal metrics, and commercial‑real‑estate property data, MSCI offers a single, unified data set that competitors typically split across multiple products or lack entirely.

  2. GP‑Centric Analytics – The platform is purpose‑built for General Partners: it provides peer‑group benchmarking, capital‑formation scenario modeling, and investor‑engagement dashboards that go far beyond the “data‑feed” approach of Bloomberg, the “fund‑raising” focus of Preqin, or the “credit‑risk” orientation of S&P Global.

  3. Depth of Financial Detail – MSCI captures cash‑flow, EBITDA, balance‑sheet items, and ESG scores for private firms, enabling sophisticated valuation and risk analysis. Bloomberg’s private‑market data often stops at headline valuations; Preqin and S&P Global rarely include these company‑level financials.

  4. Real‑Capital Analytics Layer – The RCA Funds component adds property‑level rent, occupancy, NOI, cap‑rate, and geographic segmentation—a level of granularity that Bloomberg and Preqin do not provide, and that S&P Global only offers in a more aggregated form.

  5. Integrated Workflow – APIs, data‑room feeds, and customizable LP‑reporting tools allow GPs to embed MSCI data directly into fundraising decks, portfolio‑monitoring systems, and compliance reporting—a capability that is only partially available in Bloomberg’s add‑on modules and absent in Preqin and S&P Global.

Takeaway

  • If your priority is a comprehensive, granular view of private companies, deal dynamics, and commercial‑real‑estate assets—combined with tools that translate that data into GP‑focused strategy and LP communication—MSCI’s new private‑markets suite offers the most extensive coverage and depth among the four providers.
  • Bloomberg excels in real‑time public‑market data and macro analytics but provides a comparatively thin private‑market layer.
  • Preqin remains the go‑to source for fund‑raising and performance data, yet it does not match MSCI’s company‑level financial detail or integrated real‑estate analytics.
  • S&P Global delivers strong credit and macro analytics, with a growing private‑market component, but its private‑asset coverage is still less granular than MSCI’s dedicated Private Asset and Deal Metrics platform.

Other Questions About This News

Could the introduction of these tools drive a measurable increase in MSCI's user base or boost client retention rates? What is the expected adoption rate among General Partners, and how might that influence MSCI's market share in private market data solutions? What impact might this development have on MSCI's valuation multiples relative to its peer group? How will the launch of Private Asset and Deal Metrics and RCA Funds affect MSCI's revenue growth forecasts? Will MSCI's new offerings lead to any changes in its pricing structure or subscription fees for existing clients? Will the new data products enable MSCI to cross‑sell to its existing equity and fixed‑income client base, thereby expanding its overall revenue streams? What risks are associated with the execution and rollout of these private market solutions, such as data quality or integration challenges? Are there potential synergies with MSCI's existing ESG and factor analytics that could enhance the appeal of the new solutions? Could the launch lead to strategic partnerships with major private equity firms, and how would that affect MSCI's competitive positioning? How might this announcement influence short‑term trading activity and sentiment toward MSCI's stock?