Key Points
- Chairman Joseph Mansueto sold 6,939 shares on Feb. 12 at an average of $154.74 for about $1.07M, trimming his stake by 0.08% while still holding 8,205,503 shares valued at roughly $1.27B.
- Q4 results beat estimates — EPS $2.71 vs. $2.34 expected and revenue $641.1M vs. $634.4M — but operating profit and net income fell year‑over‑year, highlighting margin pressure.
- Shares trade near $160, well below the 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages and the 52‑week high of $330.55; the stock has a $6.58B market cap, P/E of 17.96 and a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Hold" with an average target of $265.
Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN - Get Free Report) Chairman Joseph Mansueto sold 6,939 shares of Morningstar stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.74, for a total value of $1,073,740.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 8,205,503 shares in the company, valued at $1,269,719,534.22. This represents a 0.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.
Morningstar Price Performance
MORN opened at $160.03 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $204.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $225.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Morningstar, Inc. has a 52-week low of $149.08 and a 52-week high of $330.55. The company has a market cap of $6.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.96 and a beta of 1.08.
Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The business services provider reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.34 by $0.37. Morningstar had a return on equity of 26.36% and a net margin of 15.30%.The firm had revenue of $641.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $634.43 million.
Morningstar Dividend Announcement
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 2nd. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Morningstar's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.45%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group set a $280.00 price target on shares of Morningstar in a research note on Friday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Morningstar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings lowered Morningstar from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $250.00 price target on shares of Morningstar in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $265.00.
Read Our Latest Report on MORN
More Morningstar News
Here are the key news stories impacting Morningstar this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat estimates: Morningstar posted stronger-than-expected EPS and solid revenue with notably strong operating cash flow — a classic fundamental driver for investor buying (press release). Q4 press release
- Positive Sentiment: New index licensing deal: Morningstar partnered to launch Catholic-principles equity indexes with the Vatican Bank — a recurring-revenue product that can expand index/data licensing fees and distribution. Vatican bank teams with Morningstar on Catholic stock indexes
- Neutral Sentiment: Industry commentary: Coverage questioning semiliquid/private-market funds and Morningstar’s related analysis may influence advisor sentiment but is unlikely to move core revenue immediately. Article on semiliquid funds
- Neutral Sentiment: Portfolio rebalancing by Morningstar Investment Management (e.g., shifts in Berkshire, Meta, TSMC) signals client-level activity that informs asset-management revenues but doesn't change corporate guidance. Portfolio moves
- Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Chairman Joseph Mansueto has executed several small open‑market sales this week (multiple Form 4 filings). While tiny vs. his stake, visible insider sales can create short‑term caution among investors. SEC filing
- Negative Sentiment: Margin and profit headwinds: operating profit and net income were down year-over-year despite revenue growth — investors should watch margin trends and expense pacing in coming quarters. Earnings rundown
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of MORN. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in Morningstar by 23.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 178 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth grew its position in shares of Morningstar by 3.4% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,838 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,151,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Morningstar by 278.2% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 208 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in shares of Morningstar by 270.3% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 137 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Morningstar by 28.8% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 228 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Morningstar Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
Morningstar, Inc is a leading provider of independent investment research, data, and analytics, serving both individual investors and financial professionals. The company offers comprehensive coverage of financial products, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), stocks, bonds and market indexes. Morningstar's proprietary rating systems and research methodologies help clients assess the risk and return profiles of investment opportunities and make informed decisions.
Its core products include Morningstar Direct, an institutional investment analysis platform; Morningstar Office Cloud, a portfolio management solution for advisors; and Morningstar Data, which delivers extensive datasets through APIs and data feeds.
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