Global index provider MSCI has added Samsung SDS Co., a key IT unit of Samsung Group, and three other Korean stocks to its emerging market index in its latest quarterly review, which will take effect later this month, according to its website Wednesday.

The U.S.-based provider of investment research and indices included Samsung SDS, which was listed on the Seoul bourse Friday, immediately becoming the nation's sixth-largest company by market capitalization.  

MSCI also added Daum Kakao Corp., CJ Korea Express Corp. and KEPCO Plant Service & Engineer Co., while deleting Samsung Techwin Co., the defense arm of Samsung Group, to raise the total number of constituents to 106. It will take effect Nov. 26.

Daum Kakao Corp., the merged entity of South Korea's popular web portal and mobile messaging app, was listed on the tech-heavy KOSDAQ on Oct. 14.

CJ Korea Express is CJ Group's logistics unit and KEPCO Plant Service is the state-power provider's construction and engineering unit, which are both listed on the main bourse. 

Although MSCI released the quarterly review a week before Samsung SDS' listing, its entry into the MSCI's emerging market index was made in consideration of its heavy market weight in the Korean stock market. 

"MSCI doesn't wait until the next quarterly review for stocks that have large market capitalization. It adds them immediately," said Kim Tong-young, a researcher at Samsung Securities.

Market watchers expected the entry into the emerging market index would prod more offshore investors to buy Samsung SDS, which currently has a mere 1.2 percent of foreign ownership. 

Samsung SDS was changing hands at 366,000 won as of 11:00 a.m., unchanged from the previous day.

MSCI announces changes in global indices every three months to reflect changes of market capitalization of underlying securities. (Yonhap)