StockNews.com Upgrades Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN) to Buy

Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN - Get Free Report) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on MORN. Redburn Atlantic lowered shares of Morningstar from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $340.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. UBS Group initiated coverage on Morningstar in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. They set a "buy" rating and a $390.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Morningstar currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $360.67.

Morningstar Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ MORN traded down $2.19 during trading on Friday, reaching $339.81. The stock had a trading volume of 53,778 shares, compared to its average volume of 120,860. 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 company has a market cap of $14.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.89 and a beta of 1.19. Morningstar has a fifty-two week low of $269.51 and a fifty-two week high of $365.00. The business's 50-day moving average price is $344.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $322.78.

Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The business services provider reported $2.00 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.01 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $569.40 million during the quarter. Morningstar had a net margin of 14.69% and a return on equity of 23.28%.

Insider Transactions at Morningstar

In other Morningstar news, CFO Jason Dubinsky sold 3,223 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $352.88, for a total value of $1,137,332.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 17,304 shares in the company, valued at $6,106,235.52. This represents a 15.70 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 9,062 shares of Morningstar stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $328.22, for a total value of $2,974,329.64. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 10,845,718 shares in the company, valued at $3,559,781,561.96. This trade represents a 0.08 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 52,411 shares of company stock valued at $17,961,104. Insiders own 39.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its position in Morningstar by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,259 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $402,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Morningstar by 1.6% during the second quarter. Legacy Advisors LLC now owns 3,025 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $895,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the period. Planning Alternatives Ltd. ADV grew its holdings in shares of Morningstar by 2.2% during the third quarter. Planning Alternatives Ltd. ADV now owns 2,254 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $719,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. George Kaiser Family Foundation increased its position in Morningstar by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. George Kaiser Family Foundation now owns 7,693 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $2,276,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in Morningstar by 15.7% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 413 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $132,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.02% of the company's stock.

About Morningstar

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.