Morningstar Stock Price, News & Analysis

Morningstar updates ratings for 61 of the largest 529 college-savings plans, covering about 97% of $363 billion in assets as of August 30, 2020. Analysts assigned three Gold, 10 Silver, 22 Bronze, 18 Neutral, and eight Negative ratings. Key trends include slowing asset growth and increased cost-cutting among plans. Enhanced rating methodology prioritizes pricing assessments, resulting in downgrades for high-fee advisor-sold plans and upgrades for lower-fee direct-sold plans. Overall, 12 plans were upgraded, while 15 were downgraded, with adjustments in coverage for several plans.

Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN) is reorganizing its research structure, effective Jan. 1, 2021. This includes merging quantitative and qualitative research teams and appointing a chief ratings officer to enhance ratings integrity. Lee Davidson will lead these combined teams, while Jeffrey Ptak will assume the chief ratings officer role, overseeing new rating methodologies. Morningstar aims to improve investor services by integrating qualitative insights with quantitative analytics as it expands its investment offerings across multiple asset classes.

Morningstar reported significant disparities in U.S. mutual fund and ETF flows for September 2020. Long-term mutual funds faced outflows of $317 billion year-to-date, while ETFs saw inflows of $313 billion, marking the widest gap since 1993. In September alone, mutual funds had $22 billion of outflows compared to ETFs' $34 billion inflows. Notably, taxable-bond funds led with inflows of $39 billion. However, U.S. equity funds experienced $21 billion in outflows, contributing to a record quarterly loss of $119 billion.

Morningstar published its fourth annual study on Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), assessing 11 leading providers. The study highlights improvements in provider quality, with notable fee reductions and better investment options. Fidelity stands out as the top choice for both spending and investment accounts. Total industry HSA assets grew by 11% to approximately $73.5 billion in 2020. Despite these advancements, the need for greater fee transparency and improved investment access remains. The study emphasizes the importance of evolving HSA offerings in a changing market.

The board of directors of Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN) has declared a quarterly dividend of 30 cents per share. This dividend will be payable on October 30, 2020, to shareholders of record as of October 16, 2020. Morningstar is a prominent provider of independent investment research across various global markets, offering products and services for individual investors, financial advisors, and institutional investors. As of June 30, 2020, the company managed approximately $205 billion in assets under advisement.

Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN) will announce its third-quarter 2020 financial results after market close on October 28, 2020. The company encourages investors to submit questions in writing, as it does not hold analyst conference calls. Morningstar is a leading provider of independent investment research, serving individual investors, financial advisors, and institutional investors globally, with about $205 billion in assets under advisement as of June 30, 2020. The firm operates in 27 countries as of the same date.

Morningstar, Inc. (MORN) reported significant trends in U.S. mutual fund and ETF flows for August 2020. Overall, long-term mutual funds and ETFs attracted $41 billion in inflows, marking five consecutive months of positive movement. However, U.S. equity funds faced record outflows of $52 billion, with large-blend funds losing $32 billion. Taxable-bond funds thrived, collecting $77 billion. Vanguard regained top inflow status with over $7 billion.

Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN) released its 'Mind the Gap' study, highlighting improvements in U.S. investor returns over the trailing 10-year period ending December 31, 2019. The study indicates that the gap between actual investor returns and reported total returns has narrowed, with investors seeing only a 5 basis point difference. Notably, allocation funds recorded a positive return gap of 40 basis points, while U.S. equity funds showed a positive gap of 29 basis points. Despite some categories maintaining negative gaps, trends suggest a maturation in the fund industry, enhancing the overall investor experience.

Morningstar reported U.S. mutual fund and ETF flows for July 2020, showing a total inflow of $43 billion, marking the fourth consecutive month of inflows. From April to July, inflows totaled $164 billion, significantly recovering from March's outflows of $327 billion. Taxable-bond funds attracted $86 billion, while U.S. equity funds experienced record outflows of nearly $46 billion. iShares led in inflows with $19 billion, primarily in taxable-bond funds. Morningstar also introduced ESG-related data points in the analysis.