Vanguard Group Inc. Has $944.14 Million Stake in Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN)

Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN - Free Report) by 1.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,803,611 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 51,598 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 6.54% of Morningstar worth $944,144,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Morningstar by 178.6% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 78 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Bradley & Co. Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morningstar during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Morningstar during the fourth quarter worth $40,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Morningstar by 49.5% during the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 139 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Morningstar in the 3rd quarter valued at $58,000. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Morningstar Stock Down 1.7 %

NASDAQ:MORN traded down $5.15 on Wednesday, hitting $296.36. 77,059 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 126,874. The company has a market cap of $12.70 billion, a PE ratio of 38.98 and a beta of 1.23. Morningstar, Inc. has a 1 year low of $278.64 and a 1 year high of $365.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $312.20 and a 200-day moving average price of $327.89.

Remove Ads

Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The business services provider reported $2.14 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $591.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $580.81 million. Morningstar had a net margin of 14.69% and a return on equity of 23.28%.

Morningstar Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.455 per share. This is a boost from Morningstar's previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. This represents a $1.82 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 4th. Morningstar's payout ratio is currently 21.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on MORN. StockNews.com cut shares of Morningstar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Morningstar from $387.00 to $370.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 3rd.

Insider Transactions at Morningstar

In related news, Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 9,062 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $282.25, for a total value of $2,557,749.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 10,038,270 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,833,301,707.50. The trade was a 0.09 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 59,544 shares of company stock valued at $18,770,097. 39.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.