Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN) Stock Position Reduced by MUFG Securities EMEA plc

Key Points

• MUFG Securities EMEA plc reduced its stake in Morningstar, Inc. by 28.0%, selling 6,999 shares and holding 18,000 shares worth approximately $5.4 million as of its last SEC filing.
• Insider trading activity includes Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto selling 7,250 shares for about $2.25 million, and insiders collectively sold 50,398 shares valued at $15.08 million over the past three months.
• Morningstar's stock opened at $258.92, with a recent net margin of 17.22% and a P/E ratio of 27.57, reflecting its financial performance amid changing institutional investments.

MUFG Securities EMEA plc lessened its position in shares of Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN - Free Report) by 28.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,000 shares of the business services provider's stock after selling 6,999 shares during the period. MUFG Securities EMEA plc's holdings in Morningstar were worth $5,398,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MORN. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Morningstar in the fourth quarter worth about $56,584,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Morningstar by 30,785.9% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 144,237 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $43,252,000 after buying an additional 143,770 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Morningstar by 65.8% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 194,182 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $65,393,000 after buying an additional 77,042 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Morningstar in the fourth quarter worth about $16,497,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP purchased a new stake in shares of Morningstar in the fourth quarter worth about $12,203,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.02% of the company's stock.

Morningstar Stock Down 0.4%

MORN traded down $1.13 on Friday, reaching $258.92. The company's stock had a trading volume of 239,084 shares, compared to its average volume of 353,766. The stock has a market cap of $10.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.57 and a beta of 0.96. Morningstar, Inc. has a 1 year low of $250.34 and a 1 year high of $365.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The business's 50 day moving average is $294.72 and its 200 day moving average is $298.77.

Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The business services provider reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $605.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $605.84 million. Morningstar had a return on equity of 23.54% and a net margin of 17.22%.

Morningstar Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 11th were issued a dividend of $0.455 per share. This represents a $1.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 11th. Morningstar's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.38%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Morningstar news, Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 7,250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.86, for a total transaction of $2,246,485.00. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 9,442,731 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,925,924,627.66. This trade represents a 0.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 50,398 shares of company stock worth $15,079,996. Company insiders own 36.20% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MORN shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded Morningstar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 5th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Morningstar from $339.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th.

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.