BMO Capital Markets Raises Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN) Price Target to $355.00

Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN - Get Free Report) had its price target hoisted by BMO Capital Markets from $339.00 to $355.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "outperform" rating on the business services provider's stock. BMO Capital Markets' price target points to a potential upside of 14.94% from the company's previous close.

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Morningstar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd.

Morningstar Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of MORN stock traded up $4.56 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $308.86. 79,588 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 138,890. 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 has a 1 year low of $250.34 and a 1 year high of $365.00. The firm has a market cap of $13.05 billion, a PE ratio of 40.79 and a beta of 0.99. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $286.30 and a 200 day moving average of $317.91.

Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The business services provider reported $2.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $581.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $589.07 million. Morningstar had a net margin of 14.69% and a return on equity of 23.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Morningstar

In other Morningstar news, Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 9,062 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $326.86, for a total value of $2,962,005.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 10,109,617 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,304,429,412.62. This trade represents a 0.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders sold a total of 64,503 shares of company stock valued at $19,953,122 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 36.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Smith Group Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Morningstar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $468,000. Oak Thistle LLC boosted its stake in Morningstar by 194.9% during the 4th quarter. Oak Thistle LLC now owns 4,276 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,440,000 after acquiring an additional 2,826 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its stake in Morningstar by 29.4% in the fourth quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 1,073 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $361,000 after buying an additional 244 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in Morningstar by 19.9% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 16,563 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $5,286,000 after buying an additional 2,751 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its holdings in shares of Morningstar by 41.4% in the fourth quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 1,464 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $493,000 after purchasing an additional 429 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.

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