Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

by · The Markets Daily

Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN – Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Thursday.

Several other research analysts have also commented on MORN. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Morningstar in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $390.00 price target for the company. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $352.00 target price on shares of Morningstar in a research report on Wednesday, August 28th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic cut shares of Morningstar from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $340.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Morningstar currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $360.67.

Get Our Latest Report on MORN

Morningstar Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MORN traded down $1.14 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $343.27. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 75,929 shares, compared to its average volume of 115,548. Morningstar has a 1-year low of $259.50 and a 1-year high of $349.07. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $325.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $309.16. 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 has a market cap of $14.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.35 and a beta of 1.18.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director William M. Lyons sold 750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $311.60, for a total value of $233,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 14,340 shares in the company, valued at $4,468,344. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 5,257 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.37, for a total transaction of $1,631,615.09. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 10,599,799 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,289,859,615.63. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director William M. Lyons sold 750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $311.60, for a total transaction of $233,700.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 14,340 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,468,344. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 61,492 shares of company stock worth $19,430,128 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 37.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Morningstar

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in Morningstar during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of Morningstar by 326.9% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 111 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morningstar in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. DT Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morningstar in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Morningstar by 101.7% in the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 121 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Morningstar Company Profile

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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.

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