Walleye Capital LLC Takes $3.41 Million Position in Morningstar, Inc. $MORN

Key Points

• Walleye Capital LLC opened a new position in Morningstar during the first quarter, buying 20,166 shares worth about $3.41 million. The stake represented roughly 0.05% of the company.
• Morningstar’s latest quarterly results topped expectations, with EPS of $3.18 versus a $2.41 consensus and revenue of $644.8 million versus estimates of $626.9 million. The company also posted a strong 33.14% return on equity.
• Analysts remain generally constructive on the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $227.33. Recent activity also included a chairman share sale and new institutional buying, showing mixed but ongoing investor interest.

Walleye Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 20,166 shares of the business services provider's stock, valued at approximately $3,409,000. Walleye Capital LLC owned approximately 0.05% of Morningstar at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Berkeley Inc bought a new position in Morningstar in the 4th quarter worth about $3,777,000. Fluent Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morningstar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,541,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its holdings in shares of Morningstar by 176.5% during the fourth quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 35,185 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $7,629,000 after buying an additional 22,459 shares during the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Morningstar during the fourth quarter worth approximately $6,534,000. Finally, Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new position in shares of Morningstar during the fourth quarter worth approximately $768,000. Institutional investors own 57.02% of the company's stock.

Morningstar Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MORN opened at $167.57 on Friday. Morningstar, Inc. has a 12 month low of $141.49 and a 12 month high of $289.63. The stock has a market cap of $6.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.06 and a beta of 1.01. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $170.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $178.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.03.

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

Trending Headlines about Morningstar

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

Insider Transactions at Morningstar

In other Morningstar news, Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 7,250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were 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 represents a 0.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 64,720 shares of company stock worth $11,169,471 over the last quarter. 38.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Morningstar 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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