Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN) Issues Earnings Results

Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The business services provider reported $1.73 earnings per share for the quarter, reports. The company had revenue of $542.80 million during the quarter. Morningstar had a net margin of 10.13% and a return on equity of 22.28%.

Morningstar Stock Performance

Shares of MORN stock opened at $287.46 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 0.93. Morningstar has a one year low of $163.28 and a one year high of $316.05. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $300.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $279.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 58.07 and a beta of 1.15.

Morningstar Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 5th will be given a dividend of $0.405 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 4th. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.56%. Morningstar’s payout ratio is 32.73%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Morningstar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. TheStreet raised shares of Morningstar from a “c” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Friday, February 23rd.

Insider Transactions at Morningstar

In other news, Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 6,926 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $279.39, for a total transaction of $1,935,055.14. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 10,934,986 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,055,125,738.54. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 7,470 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $277.23, for a total transaction of $2,070,908.10. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 10,927,151 shares in the company, valued at $3,029,334,071.73. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 6,926 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $279.39, for a total transaction of $1,935,055.14. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 10,934,986 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,055,125,738.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 95,544 shares of company stock valued at $27,733,515. Insiders own 39.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Morningstar

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Morningstar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morningstar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Morningstar in the third quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in shares of Morningstar by 55.2% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 194 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morningstar in the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. 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.