Morningstar Appoints Scott Brown as President of Direct Platform
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 4 hours ago
0mins
Should l Buy MORN?
Source: Newsfilter
- Leadership Change: Morningstar has appointed Scott Brown as President of Direct Platform effective March 2, 2026, overseeing the company's largest business segment, which is expected to drive growth for core products like Morningstar Direct and Direct Advisory Suite, thereby strengthening the company's market position.
- Extensive Industry Experience: Brown brings over 20 years of experience from Experian, where he managed a multi-billion-dollar portfolio and drove AI-enabled product innovations, particularly the rapid adoption of the Ascend platform, showcasing his deep expertise in data platforms and technology innovation.
- Strategic Vision: Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor stated that Brown's appointment will enhance the company's ability to innovate in response to the surging demand for data and research content, indicating a strategic focus on asset and wealth management.
- Future Development Plans: Brown aims to build on the existing foundation to enhance platform capabilities and accelerate product enhancements to meet client needs in increasingly complex markets, further driving Morningstar's competitive advantage in the global investment landscape.
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Analyst Views on MORN
Wall Street analysts forecast MORN stock price to rise
2 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 162.750
Low
250.00
Averages
285.00
High
320.00
Current: 162.750
Low
250.00
Averages
285.00
High
320.00
About MORN
Morningstar, Inc. is a provider of independent investment insights in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Its segments include Morningstar Data and Analytics, PitchBook, Morningstar Wealth, Morningstar Credit, and Morningstar Retirement. The Morningstar Data and Analytics segment provides investors comprehensive data, research and insights, and investment analysis to empower investment decision-making. The PitchBook segment provides investors with access to a broad collection of data and research covering the private capital markets. Morningstar Wealth segment brings together its model portfolios and wealth platform; practice and portfolio management software for registered investment advisers; data aggregation and enrichment capabilities; and others. Morningstar Credit segment provides investors with credit ratings, research, data, and credit analytics solutions. The Morningstar Retirement segment offers products designed to help individuals reach their retirement goals.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Morningstar Appoints Scott Brown as President of Direct Platform
- Leadership Change: Morningstar has appointed Scott Brown as President of Direct Platform effective March 2, 2026, overseeing the company's largest business segment, which is expected to drive growth for core products like Morningstar Direct and Direct Advisory Suite, thereby strengthening the company's market position.
- Extensive Industry Experience: Brown brings over 20 years of experience from Experian, where he managed a multi-billion-dollar portfolio and drove AI-enabled product innovations, particularly the rapid adoption of the Ascend platform, showcasing his deep expertise in data platforms and technology innovation.
- Strategic Vision: Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor stated that Brown's appointment will enhance the company's ability to innovate in response to the surging demand for data and research content, indicating a strategic focus on asset and wealth management.
- Future Development Plans: Brown aims to build on the existing foundation to enhance platform capabilities and accelerate product enhancements to meet client needs in increasingly complex markets, further driving Morningstar's competitive advantage in the global investment landscape.
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Morningstar Appoints Scott Brown as President of Direct Platform
- Leadership Change: Morningstar has appointed Scott Brown as President of Direct Platform effective March 2, 2026, overseeing the company's largest business segment, which is expected to drive growth for core products like Morningstar Direct and Direct Advisory Suite, thereby strengthening the company's market position.
- Extensive Industry Experience: Brown brings over 20 years of experience from Experian, where he managed a multi-billion-dollar portfolio and drove AI-enabled product innovations, particularly the rapid adoption of the Ascend platform, showcasing his deep expertise in data platforms and technology innovation.
- Strategic Vision: Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor stated that Brown's appointment will enhance the company's ability to innovate in response to the surging demand for data and research content, indicating a strategic focus on asset and wealth management.
- Future Development Plans: Brown aims to build on the existing foundation to enhance platform capabilities and accelerate product enhancements to meet client needs in increasingly complex markets, further driving Morningstar's competitive advantage in the global investment landscape.
See More
Is Your Retirement Plan Investing in Your Favorite Football Team?
- Fan Ownership: Pro football fans may unknowingly own a piece of their favorite team, in addition to their season tickets and merchandise.
- Team Merchandise: Fans often invest in various team-related items, such as jerseys and stadium cushions, which enhance their connection to the team.
See More
What Exactly Is an Evergreen Fund?
- Emerging Lexicon: Individual investors need to adapt to a new vocabulary related to private investments as a new category of funds is being introduced.
- Access for Retail Clients: Financial advisors are now able to assist retail clients in investing in assets that were previously accessible mainly to institutional investors.
See More
Cautious Approach Recommended for Precious Metals Investment
- Price Volatility: The precious metals market is experiencing a rally in 2026, with gold futures up over 15% year-to-date and silver futures rising 10%, yet both faced severe turbulence on January 30, with gold contracts losing 11% and silver contracts plummeting 31%, indicating significant market instability.
- Portfolio Diversification: Gold is gaining popularity amid geopolitical shocks and inflation fears, with JPMorgan's analysis showing an average four-week return of 1.8% during major shocks, contrasting with a 1.6% average decline for stocks, highlighting gold's effectiveness in diversifying investments.
- Investment Method Selection: Investors can engage in the precious metals market through mining stocks, ETFs holding physical assets, or futures contracts, with each method affecting the risk profile of their portfolio; directly holding physical gold through ETFs is considered the most straightforward investment approach.
- Tax Complexity: The tax treatment of holding a precious metals ETF differs from that of a standard equity ETF, as selling a commodities ETF with physical assets may incur a 28% long-term capital gains tax, and funds holding futures contracts may require K-1 forms, complicating tax filing processes.
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- Significant Revenue Growth: Micron Technology reported a 57% year-over-year revenue increase in Q1 FY2026, with adjusted earnings soaring 169% to $5.5 billion, showcasing strong performance driven by AI demand, which may attract more investor interest.
- Competitive Pressure: Despite strong demand for Micron's high-bandwidth memory (HBM), significant competition from Samsung and SK Hynix poses a threat, especially with rumors that Micron's HBM4 chips failed to meet Nvidia's requirements, potentially impacting market share.
- Stock Volatility Risk: Micron is viewed as a cyclical stock, with investors concerned that the current memory supply-demand imbalance could quickly evaporate, leading to a sharp decline in share price, which explains its low forward P/E ratio of 11.8.
- AI Demand Outlook: Despite cyclical challenges, analysts believe that the demand for Micron's high-performance memory driven by AI will continue to grow, potentially positioning it closer to Nvidia than Intel in future market competition.
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