Insider Selling: Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN) Chairman Sells 9,062 Shares of Stock

Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN) Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 9,062 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $326.86, for a total transaction of $2,962,005.32. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 10,109,617 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,304,429,412.62. The trade was a 0.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Morningstar Price Performance

MORN stock traded down $1.34 during trading on Thursday, reaching $327.11. 174,576 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 113,336. The company has a 50-day moving average of $330.85 and a two-hundred day moving average of $329.39. The company has a market capitalization of $14.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.21 and a beta of 1.20. Morningstar, Inc. has a twelve month low of $270.44 and a twelve month high of $365.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14.

Morningstar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.455 per share. This represents a $1.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.56%. This is a positive change from Morningstar’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 3rd. Morningstar’s payout ratio is presently 24.04%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Morningstar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $360.67.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Morningstar

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Morningstar by 178.6% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 78 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Bradley & Co. Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morningstar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Morningstar by 101.7% during the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 121 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Morningstar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its holdings in Morningstar by 49.5% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 139 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. 57.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.