Morningstar Stock Price, News & Analysis

Morningstar, Inc. (MORN) will report its fourth-quarter and full-year 2021 financial results on February 24, 2022, after market close. The company offers investment research services across multiple regions including North America and Europe, and manages approximately $260 billion in assets. Investors can submit written questions regarding the results as no analyst conference calls will be held.

Morningstar, Inc. (MORN) reported record U.S. mutual fund and ETF flows for December 2021, totaling $88 billion and a full-year total of $1.2 trillion, the highest since 1993. Key highlights include $96 billion inflows for passive funds and outflows of $8 billion for active funds in December. Taxable-bond funds reached $531 billion for the year, while U.S. equity funds saw $30 billion in December, totaling $151 billion for 2021. Sustainable funds also excelled, with a $71 billion intake for the year.

Morningstar (MORN) is set to acquire Praemium's U.K. and international operations for £35 million. This acquisition aims to enhance Morningstar's technological capabilities and broaden its service offerings to financial advisers. Praemium's platform serves nearly 500 advisers and provides comprehensive SaaS solutions for investment management. The deal is expected to be finalized in Q2/Q3 2022, pending regulatory approvals. Morningstar anticipates that this acquisition will allow for increased efficiency and better service to an expanding client base in wealth management.

Morningstar, Inc. (MORN) reported estimated U.S. mutual fund and ETF flows for November 2021, totaling $81 billion, consistent with October's $84 billion. Passive strategies dominated with $83 billion inflows while active strategies faced $2 billion outflows. Key highlights included $78 billion intake in ETFs and $26 billion for taxable-bond funds. ESG funds attracted $6.2 billion in November. Vanguard led with $29.3 billion in inflows, significantly outpacing competitors for the year to date.

The board of directors of Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN) declared a quarterly dividend of 36 cents per share, an increase of 14.3% from the prior rate of 31.5 cents. This dividend will be payable on January 31, 2022 to shareholders of record as of January 7, 2022, resulting in an annualized dividend of $1.44 compared to $1.26 previously. Morningstar, which manages about $260 billion in assets, remains optimistic about its future growth and plans to pay three additional dividends in 2022, subject to board approval.

Morningstar reported estimated U.S. mutual fund and ETF flows for October 2021, highlighting a significant increase in inflows to $84 billion, up from $53 billion in September. U.S. equity funds led with inflows of $32 billion, rebounding after September's outflows of $7.5 billion. Sector-equity funds attracted approximately $6 billion, while taxable-bond funds saw their lowest intake since March 2020 at $22 billion. Environmental, social, and governance funds had $4.9 billion inflows, totaling $75 billion for the year.

Morningstar, Inc. (MORN) reported strong Q3 2021 results with revenues up 20.1% to $428.9 million and organic revenue growth of 18.6%. Operating income surged 53.0% to $67.8 million. However, diluted net income per share fell 35.8% to $1.13. Year-to-date revenue rose 22.6% to $1.2 billion, while adjusted diluted net income per share increased by 27.2%. Key revenue drivers included PitchBook, Sustainalytics, and asset-based revenue, with significant growth in transaction-based revenue. Cash flow from operations improved by 31.3%, indicating robust financial health.

Morningstar, Inc. (MORN) announced its Analyst Ratings for 62 large 529 plans, which hold about $437 billion in assets. The ratings include three Gold, 11 Silver, 18 Bronze, 23 Neutral, and seven Negative. Notable changes include Georgia's Path2College 529 Plan receiving a Silver rating after significant improvements, and Virginia's Invest529 being downgraded from Gold to Bronze following the departure of its investment director. The ratings reflect the increasing competitiveness among 529 plans and the application of an enhanced rating methodology.