Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN) Shares Sold by Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lowered its position in Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN) by 0.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 272,951 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 447 shares during the quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC owned about 0.64% of Morningstar worth $90,748,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morningstar in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Morningstar by 101.7% in the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 121 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Morningstar in the fourth quarter worth approximately $40,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in Morningstar by 93.6% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 182 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in Morningstar in the third quarter valued at $58,000. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com raised Morningstar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $360.67.

Insider Activity at Morningstar

In related news, Chairman Joseph D. Mansueto sold 3,635 shares of Morningstar stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $325.44, for a total value of $1,182,974.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 10,142,694 shares in the company, valued at $3,300,838,335.36. The trade was a 0.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jason Dubinsky sold 3,223 shares of Morningstar stock in a transaction on Friday, December 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $352.88, for a total transaction of $1,137,332.24. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 17,304 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,106,235.52. This trade represents a 15.70 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 22,219 shares of company stock worth $7,601,166 in the last three months. 39.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Morningstar Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ MORN opened at $320.26 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The business’s 50 day moving average is $335.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $329.16. Morningstar, Inc. has a 52-week low of $269.51 and a 52-week high of $365.00. The firm has a market cap of $13.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.31 and a beta of 1.20.

Morningstar Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Investors of record on Friday, October 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.455 per share. This is a positive change from Morningstar’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 3rd. This represents a $1.82 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.57%. Morningstar’s dividend payout ratio is presently 24.04%.

About Morningstar

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.