Insider Selling: Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN) Chairman Sells 2,495 Shares of Stock

Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN - Get Free Report) Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 2,495 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $326.44, for a total value of $814,467.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 10,133,353 shares in the company, valued at $3,307,931,753.32. The trade was a 0.02 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Morningstar Stock Performance

Morningstar stock traded up $8.54 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $328.80. The company's stock had a trading volume of 100,063 shares, compared to its average volume of 110,326. Morningstar, Inc. has a 12-month low of $269.51 and a 12-month high of $365.00. The company has a market capitalization of $14.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.43 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $334.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $329.09.

Morningstar Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Investors of record on Friday, October 3rd will be given a $0.455 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 3rd. This is a positive change from Morningstar's previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. This represents a $1.82 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.55%. Morningstar's payout ratio is 24.04%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Morningstar

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MORN. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Morningstar by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 5,626 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,895,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Morningstar by 15.9% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 285 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $96,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Morningstar by 3.4% in the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,259 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $402,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Morningstar by 49.5% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 139 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Planning Alternatives Ltd. ADV raised its stake in shares of Morningstar by 2.2% in the third quarter. Planning Alternatives Ltd. ADV now owns 2,254 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $719,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. 57.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Morningstar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $360.67.

Morningstar Company Profile

Morningstar, Inc provides independent investment insights in the United States, Asia. Australia, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates in five segments: Morningstar Data and Analytics; PitchBook; Morningstar Wealth; Morningstar Credit; and Morningstar Retirement.