Morningstar, Inc. - MORN STOCK NEWS

Morningstar, a leader in investment research, reported strong financial results for Q4 and full-year 2020 amid a challenging economic environment. Revenue surged by 14.4% to $380.4 million in Q4, with organic revenue growing 7.9%. Operating income increased significantly by 64.0% to $65.1 million. For the full year, revenue rose 17.9% to $1.4 billion. Diluted net income per share for Q4 reached $1.74, a 171.9% increase, driven partly by non-operating gains. Cash flows and free cash flow also saw substantial increases, highlighting the firm's robust financial health.

Morningstar reported that U.S. mutual funds and ETFs gathered $95 billion in January 2021. Despite this, U.S. equity funds faced substantial outflows totaling $38 billion, with $26 billion from actively managed and $12 billion from passively managed funds. Taxable-bond funds attracted $79 billion in inflows, leading the category. Intermediate core bond funds had inflows over $25 billion. Municipal-bond funds saw a record $15.9 billion inflow, driven by expected federal support. Vanguard led inflows with $38 billion overall.

Morningstar, Inc. (MORN) has launched the Morningstar® Broad Style Indexes℠, a series of 12 U.S. equity indexes that categorize the market by size and style to enhance investment analysis. This initiative aims to provide investors with better benchmarks and diversify their portfolios, complementing existing offerings like the Morningstar Style Box™. The new indexes cater to a growing market, as traditional U.S. equity strategies managed over $4 trillion by year-end 2020. The indexes will officially track funds by March 19, 2021. More information on these indexes is available here.

Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN) will announce its fourth-quarter and full-year 2020 financial results after market close on February 18, 2021. The company, a leader in independent investment research, offers diverse products and services for various investors, including individuals and institutions. As of September 30, 2020, Morningstar managed approximately $215 billion in assets. Investors can submit questions via email, as the company does not hold analyst calls.

Morningstar reported U.S. mutual fund and ETF flows for 2020, with long-term funds gathering $212 billion, significantly lower than the $356 billion average from 2010-2019. December 2020 saw inflows exceeding $86 billion, the second-largest monthly total for the year. ETFs achieved record calendar-year inflows of $502 billion, while mutual funds experienced $289 billion in outflows. Taxable-bond funds collected a record $441 billion in 2020. Vanguard led in inflows with $141 billion.

Morningstar, Inc. (MORN) has launched the Morningstar Market Monitoring platform, a web-based tool designed to provide real-time market information and insights for financial advisors, traders, and analysts. The platform integrates with existing workflows and offers customizable dashboards featuring over 40 configurable components to track diverse market elements including stocks, ETFs, and fixed income. Users will benefit from live news updates from Dow Jones, enhancing their ability to respond to market events. This innovation aims to improve decision-making and increase transparency for investors.

Morningstar, Inc. (MORN) reported that U.S. mutual funds and ETFs attracted nearly $112 billion in inflows during November 2020, marking the eighth consecutive month of inflows. ETFs saw a record $97 billion in inflows, surpassing June 2019's previous record. Notably, U.S. equity funds garnered $36 billion in inflows, while taxable-bond funds brought in $52 billion, totaling $368 billion year-to-date. However, commodities funds experienced $5 billion in outflows. iShares led fund families with $31 billion in inflows, while Dimensional Fund Advisors saw $1.9 billion in outflows.

Morningstar published its biannual Global Investor Experience report, revealing significant insights into mutual fund disclosure practices across 26 markets. India and the U.S. received Top grades for their transparency in managing investor information. The report introduced two new dimensions: Sales Disclosure and ESG and Stewardship Disclosure, highlighting a growing emphasis on environmental factors. Conversely, Australia was noted for having the weakest disclosure regime, lacking regulated portfolio holdings disclosure, which has not adapted to modern investor expectations.

Morningstar declared a quarterly dividend of 31.5 cents per share, a 5% increase from the previous rate of 30 cents, effective Jan. 29, 2021. This raises the annualized dividend to $1.26, up from $1.20. The board also approved a new $400 million share repurchase program effective Jan. 1, 2021. Morningstar aims to enhance shareholder value by repurchasing shares at prevailing market prices. This marks the 10th consecutive year of dividend increases, reflecting the company's resilience and commitment to sustainable growth.