Caxton Associates LLP Makes New $4.22 Million Investment in Morningstar, Inc. $MORN

Key Points

• Caxton Associates LLP disclosed a new position in Morningstar, buying 24,977 shares worth about $4.22 million in the first quarter. The hedge fund now owns roughly 0.07% of the company.
• Morningstar’s latest reported earnings topped expectations, with EPS of $3.18 versus the $2.41 consensus and revenue of $644.8 million above estimates. The company also posted a strong 33.14% return on equity.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with Morningstar holding a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $227.33. Recent coverage included a mix of bullish ratings and a modest pullback in UBS’s target.

Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 24,977 shares of the business services provider's stock, valued at approximately $4,222,000. Caxton Associates LLP owned approximately 0.07% of Morningstar at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new stake in Morningstar in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in Morningstar during the third quarter worth $26,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Morningstar during the first quarter worth $26,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Morningstar during the second quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morningstar in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MORN has been the topic of several analyst reports. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Morningstar from $280.00 to $260.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $212.00 price target on shares of Morningstar in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Morningstar from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Wall Street Zen raised Morningstar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $210.00 price target on Morningstar in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $227.33.

Morningstar Trading Up 0.4%

MORN opened at $167.57 on Friday. Morningstar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $141.49 and a 1-year high of $289.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.37 billion, a PE ratio of 17.06 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $170.48 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $178.16.

Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The business services provider reported $3.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.41 by $0.77. Morningstar had a net margin of 16.06% and a return on equity of 33.14%. The company had revenue of $644.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $626.91 million.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 7,250 shares of Morningstar stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $166.23, for a total value of $1,205,167.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 8,114,492 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,348,872,005.16. This trade represents a 0.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 64,720 shares of company stock valued at $11,169,471. 38.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Morningstar News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Morningstar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morningstar launched its new U.S. Capital Allocation Leaders Index, a research-driven index aimed at identifying companies with strong shareholder-friendly capital allocation practices. That expands Morningstar’s index and data offerings and could help support licensing and product revenue. Morningstar Launches US Capital Allocation Leaders Index, Providing Exposure to Companies with Exemplary Capital Allocation Practices
• Positive Sentiment: Global X rebranded its KRMA ETF into CPTL and lowered fees while adopting Morningstar’s new Capital Allocation Leaders Index, which increases visibility for Morningstar’s index methodology and may encourage additional ETF adoption. QUICK SPARK: Global X Rebrands KRMA Into CPTL, Powered By Morningstar's New Capital Allocation Index
• Positive Sentiment: Some coverage highlighted Morningstar’s view that Nike could still have meaningful upside, reinforcing Morningstar’s influence as an investment-research source. Nike Continues a Troubled 2026 But Has Potential to Double According to Morningstar
• Neutral Sentiment: Morningstar DBRS said wildfires are not expected to create severe losses for the insurance industry. This is more of a market-risk assessment than a direct catalyst for Morningstar’s stock. Wildfires not resulting in severe losses for insurance industry: Morningstar DBRS
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also a prior note that Morningstar shares had pulled back recently, with some quant-style commentary suggesting the stock may be undervalued. That may provide some support, but it is not a fresh operating catalyst. Is Morningstar Inc (MORN) a Bargain After 3.5% Drop? GF Value Says Undervalued

Morningstar Company Profile

Morningstar, Inc is a leading provider of independent investment research, data, and analytics, serving both individual investors and financial professionals. The company offers comprehensive coverage of financial products, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), stocks, bonds and market indexes. Morningstar's proprietary rating systems and research methodologies help clients assess the risk and return profiles of investment opportunities and make informed decisions.

Its core products include Morningstar Direct, an institutional investment analysis platform; Morningstar Office Cloud, a portfolio management solution for advisors; and Morningstar Data, which delivers extensive datasets through APIs and data feeds.

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