Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN) Stock Holdings Increased by Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its stake in Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN) by 29.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,073 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 244 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Morningstar were worth $361,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bradley & Co. Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morningstar in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Morningstar by 101.7% during the third 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. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Morningstar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its position in Morningstar by 49.5% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in Morningstar by 93.6% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 182 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. 57.02% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Morningstar

In other Morningstar news, Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 3,635 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.44, for a total transaction of $1,182,974.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 10,142,694 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,300,838,335.36. This represents a 0.04 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Jason Dubinsky sold 3,223 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $352.88, for a total value of $1,137,332.24. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 17,304 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,106,235.52. This represents a 15.70 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 53,703 shares of company stock worth $17,349,106. 39.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Morningstar Stock Performance

Morningstar stock opened at $290.65 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $323.48 and a 200 day simple moving average of $329.54. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Morningstar, Inc. has a 12-month low of $281.37 and a 12-month high of $365.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.40 and a beta of 1.23.

Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The business services provider reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $591.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $580.81 million. Morningstar had a return on equity of 23.28% and a net margin of 14.69%.

Morningstar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Investors of record on Friday, October 3rd will be given a $0.455 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 3rd. This is a positive change from Morningstar’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. This represents a $1.82 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.63%. Morningstar’s payout ratio is currently 21.24%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on MORN. StockNews.com raised shares of Morningstar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of Morningstar from $387.00 to $370.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 3rd.

Morningstar Company Profile

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.