Entity and Reference Data

Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)

An overview of Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)

Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) is a common global classification standard used by thousands of market participants across all major groups involved in the investment process: asset managers; brokers (institutional and retail); custodians; consultants; research teams; and stock exchanges. GICS is a four-tiered, hierarchical industry classification system. It consists of 11 sectors, 25 industry groups, 74 industries, and 163 sub-industries. The GICS methodology is widely accepted as an industry analytical framework for investment research, portfolio management, and asset allocation.

MSCI and S&P Dow Jones Indices jointly developed GICS, seeking to offer an efficient investment tool to capture the breadth, depth, and evolution of industry sectors. GICS Direct is a global database maintained jointly by MSCI and S&P Dow Jones Indices.

Key Facts 

  • Geographical coverage
    Global
  • History
    From 1985
  • Data format
    CSV
    Delimited
    GZIP
    SQL
    User Interface
    XML
    Zip Archive
  • Delivery mechanism
    API
    Cloud
    Deployed/Onsite Servers
    Desktop
    Excel
    FTP
    SFTP
  • Data frequency
    Daily

Features & Benefits

What you get with Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)

  • Global industry coverage is comprehensive and precise. The classification system is comprised of over 58,000 trading securities across 125 countries, covering approximately 95% of the world’s equity market capitalization.
  • The structure correctly reflects the current state of industries in the equity investment universe.
  • A flexible structure offers four levels of analysis, ranging from the most general sector to the most specialized sub-industry.
  • Annual reviews are conducted by MSCI and S&P Dow Jones Indices to ensure that the structure evolves to remain fully representative of global markets.

How it works

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