Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN) Chairman Sells $562,659.24 in Stock

Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN) Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 1,716 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $327.89, for a total value of $562,659.24. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 10,151,120 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,328,450,736.80. This trade represents a 0.02 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Morningstar Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ MORN opened at $325.70 on Wednesday. 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 market capitalization of $13.97 billion, a PE ratio of 43.03 and a beta of 1.20. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $338.68 and its 200-day moving average is $328.64. Morningstar, Inc. has a 1 year low of $269.51 and a 1 year high of $365.00.

Morningstar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.455 per share. This represents a $1.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 3rd. This is a positive change from Morningstar’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. Morningstar’s payout ratio is currently 24.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on MORN. UBS Group initiated coverage on Morningstar in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $390.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Morningstar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic lowered shares of Morningstar from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $340.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Morningstar currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $360.67.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Morningstar by 0.7% during 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 period. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Morningstar by 15.9% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 285 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $96,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its position in shares of Morningstar by 49.5% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 139 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Finally, Planning Alternatives Ltd. ADV boosted its stake in Morningstar by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Planning Alternatives Ltd. ADV now owns 2,254 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $719,000 after acquiring an additional 49 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.