🗂️Global Industry Classification Standard

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Also known as: GICS

A system categorizing companies into sectors and industries for financial analysis and reporting.

DESCRIPTION

GICS is a widely used industry taxonomy for classifying public companies. Developed by MSCI and S&P Dow Jones Indices, it organizes firms into sectors, industry groups, industries, and sub-industries. Financial institutions use GICS for benchmarking, index construction, and sector analytics. It standardizes industry mappings in reference data and reporting.

ALTERNATIVE DEFINITIONS

MSCI

The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) is an industry taxonomy developed by MSCI and S&P Dow Jones Indices to categorize companies into sectors and industries.

Identifies joint development and categorical structure for benchmarking.

Source

Wikipedia

The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) is an industry taxonomy developed by MSCI and Standard & Poor’s (S&P).

Concise origin and purpose statement.

Source

RELATED TERMS

SIC Sector Industry Class Hierarchy MSCI S&P Dow Jones Indices Reference Data Master Data Management

COMPETING TERMS

Industry Classification Benchmark NAICS

RELATIONS

• Implemented by: Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Company Directory

KNOWLEDGE AREAS

Domain & Business Context Reference & Master Data Semantic & Knowledge Modeling Data Governance Data Management

TARGET AUDIENCE

Data Steward BI Specialist Data Analyst Data Management Consultant Data Strategy Consultant Chief Data Officer

EXTERNAL SOURCES

• Wikipedia - Global Industry Classification Standard
• MSCI - Official GICS overview and methodology
• S&P Dow Jones Indices - Methodology PDF describing GICS
• MSCI - Detailed GICS structure reference

TOP QUESTIONS

Why is GICS important for financial analytics?

GICS enables consistent sector analysis, benchmarking, and index construction, improving comparability across markets and portfolios.

Category: Relevancy

How is GICS maintained over time?

MSCI and S&P review classifications periodically, updating sectors and sub-industries to reflect evolving market dynamics.

Category: Management

What are common mistakes when mapping to GICS?

Using outdated mappings or misinterpreting business activities can lead to incorrect sector assignments and flawed benchmarks.

Category: Mistakes

How does GICS compare to ICB or NAICS?

GICS focuses on investment classification; ICB is similar but differs in structure, while NAICS is a government economic classification.

Category: Alternatives

What risks exist when applying GICS classifications?

Misclassification affects risk attribution and performance analysis, potentially misleading investment decisions.

Category: Risk

Who developed the GICS standard?

MSCI and S&P Dow Jones Indices jointly developed and maintain GICS.

Category: Origin

How is GICS used in data platforms?

GICS codes populate reference data, power dashboards, and segment portfolios for analytics and reporting.

Category: Example

What’s a hot topic around GICS today?

Revisions to reflect technology convergence and sustainability-related sector considerations are increasingly discussed.

Category: Topic

What is the structure of GICS?

It includes sectors, industry groups, industries, and sub-industries, providing hierarchical granularity.

Category: Definition