William M. Lyons Sells 750 Shares of Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN) Stock

Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN) Director William M. Lyons sold 750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.88, for a total transaction of $248,910.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 12,840 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,261,339.20. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Morningstar Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of NASDAQ MORN opened at $328.05 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $322.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $307.77. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. Morningstar, Inc. has a 12-month low of $247.16 and a 12-month high of $349.07. The company has a market cap of $14.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.34 and a beta of 1.19.

Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The business services provider reported $2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $569.40 million during the quarter. Morningstar had a net margin of 11.34% and a return on equity of 22.34%.

Morningstar Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 4th were paid a $0.405 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 4th. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.49%. Morningstar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.40%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on MORN shares. Redburn Atlantic cut Morningstar from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $340.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. UBS Group began coverage on Morningstar in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $390.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $352.00 target price on shares of Morningstar in a research report on Wednesday, August 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Morningstar has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $360.67.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Morningstar

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in Morningstar during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of Morningstar by 326.9% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 111 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Morningstar in the second quarter worth $35,000. DT Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Morningstar in the second quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Morningstar by 73.8% during the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 146 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. 57.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.