NEW YORK -- Private assets are growing rapidly, fueled by institutional allocations and increasing flows from private wealth. Yet the industry remains constrained by a lack of transparency, with no common system to effectively classify exposures, measure performance or communicate strategies.

MSCI is addressing this challenge with the launch of MSCI PACS, a proprietary asset classification framework designed to bring order, comparability and consistency to private markets. Covering a wide array of private assets - including private companies, real estate and infrastructure - PACS provides granular classifications that can be used to benchmark, analyze and communicate portfolio strategies and performance effectively across the investment lifecycle.

MSCI PACS is a global taxonomy created specifically for private assets. It builds on MSCI’s decades of leadership in providing standards and tools, including the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®)[1], that are used to categorize and compare public companies around the world. Delivered as an AI-powered managed data service, PACS applies consistent sector tagging at scale, providing the private-markets industry a strong foundation for transparency and comparability.

“Private markets are at an inflection point, with increasing prominence in the global financial ecosystem,” said Luke Flemmer, Head of Private Assets at MSCI. “With PACS, MSCI is introducing the infrastructure that will define how private assets are identified, compared and analyzed globally for years to come.”

The launch of PACS reflects MSCI’s broader commitment to equip private markets practitioners with the tools, research and data required to enhance transparency and support informed decision-making across their portfolios.