UBS Reiterates Buy Rating on Morningstar, Reduces Price Target to $320
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Oct 30 2025
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Should l Buy MORN?
Source: Benzinga
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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: 169.030
Low
250.00
Averages
285.00
High
320.00
Current: 169.030
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 (MORN.US) Officer Plans to Sell $17.1 Million in Common Stock via Form 144
Stock Sale Announcement: Officer Mansueto Joseph intends to sell 100,000 shares of its common stock on May 1, with an estimated market value of around $17.1 million.
Shareholding Reduction: Mansueto Joseph has reduced his shareholding in Morningstar (MORN.U.S) by 100,000 shares since February 2, 2026, with a total value of approximately $16.77 million.
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Trump Signs Executive Order for New Retirement Accounts
- New Retirement Account Initiative: Trump is set to sign an executive order on Thursday to create a new type of retirement account aimed at approximately 56 million Americans lacking access to 401(k) or other workplace plans, which is expected to significantly enhance retirement savings for low-income groups.
- Federal Matching Contribution: The new accounts will offer a federal matching contribution of up to $1,000, with eligible single taxpayers earning below $20,000 or joint filers below $40,000 qualifying for a 50% match, which is anticipated to encourage more individuals to participate in retirement savings.
- Legislative Support: The order will instruct the White House to collaborate with Congress to propose legislation that expands coverage and savings credits, with experts suggesting that this will make the initiative more sustainable and potentially increase savings among low- to moderate-income individuals.
- Automatic IRA Legislation: Congress has already introduced several bills, including one requiring employers to automatically enroll employees in IRAs, while 17 states have passed laws to establish automatic enrollment individual retirement accounts, reflecting a growing emphasis on promoting retirement savings.
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Comparison of SCHD and HDV High-Income ETFs
- Yield and Risk: SCHD offers a dividend yield of 3.3%, surpassing HDV's 3%, while maintaining a lower expense ratio of 0.06% compared to HDV's 0.08%, making SCHD more attractive for long-term investors seeking stable income.
- Assets Under Management: SCHD manages $88.9 billion in assets, significantly larger than HDV's $13.4 billion, which enhances SCHD's resilience against market volatility and provides better liquidity for investors.
- Historical Performance Comparison: Over the past decade, SCHD has achieved an average annual return of 12.5%, notably higher than HDV's 9.3%, indicating a more successful stock selection strategy, particularly during the 2016-2021 period, showcasing its long-term investment value.
- Portfolio Overlap and Sector Distribution: The two funds share a 44% overlap in assets, primarily in consumer staples, energy, and healthcare, but SCHD is more concentrated in industrials and communication services, while HDV has a higher allocation in utilities and energy, which may influence investors' sector preferences and risk profiles.
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Morningstar Reports Strong Q1 2026 Earnings Performance
- Non-GAAP EPS: Morningstar's Q1 2026 Non-GAAP EPS reached $3.18, indicating a significant improvement in profitability, which reflects the company's robust performance and enhanced investor confidence in its operations.
- Revenue Growth: The company reported revenue of $644.8 million for Q1, marking a 10.8% year-over-year increase, primarily driven by the expansion of its core business and rising market demand, thereby solidifying Morningstar's position in the financial services sector.
- Market Outlook: Morningstar's strong earnings report lays a solid foundation for future growth, particularly as investor demand for its products and services continues to rise, which is expected to drive higher performance in upcoming quarters.
- Investor Confidence: The financial performance not only boosts market confidence in Morningstar's stock but also provides funding support for the company's future strategic investments and expansion plans, further enhancing its competitiveness in the fiercely contested financial market.
See More
Blockworks Plans to Acquire Rivals to Expand Data Platform
- Funding Expansion Plan: Blockworks plans to acquire rivals using undisclosed funds from its recent fundraising, aiming to enhance its digital asset data platform and become a high-quality tool provider akin to Morningstar, thereby increasing market competitiveness.
- Growing Market Demand: With the rapid growth of the crypto market, Blockworks reported over 500% growth in annual recurring revenue last year, demonstrating its strong capability to meet traders' demands for high-quality data, further driving business expansion.
- Addressing Industry Pain Points: In the absence of a unified data provider, Blockworks aims to consolidate fragmented data services to alleviate traders' challenges in accessing information, thus promoting trading and market growth for digital assets.
- Trust Issue Mitigation: The founder of Blockworks highlighted a trust crisis in the crypto market, emphasizing the need for businesses to enhance transparency to gain institutional investor trust, while the company plans to address this by providing reliable data and information to foster broader asset adoption.
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SpaceX Targets Summer IPO with $1.75 Trillion Valuation
- IPO Timeline: SpaceX is targeting an initial public offering (IPO) this summer, with a major investor event scheduled for June 11, and management expects to release a public prospectus by late May, providing investors with an opportunity to participate.
- Valuation Expectations: The company aims for a valuation of $1.75 trillion, significantly higher than its $1.25 trillion valuation at the merger with xAI, although analysts consider a $1.5 trillion valuation 'expensive and risky' yet not irrational, reflecting market confidence in its future growth.
- Strong Market Demand: Early reports indicate robust demand for SpaceX shares, with some investors pouring money into opaque secondary markets, demonstrating a strong desire to own shares, which could drive the valuation well above $1 trillion.
- Future Growth Potential: Despite recording a net loss of about $5 billion in 2025, SpaceX's Starlink division's profitability and high growth rates provide strong value support, and as Starship commercializes, the valuation is expected to become progressively easier to justify.
See More
Morningstar (MORN.US) Officer Plans to Sell $17.1 Million in Common Stock via Form 144
Stock Sale Announcement: Officer Mansueto Joseph intends to sell 100,000 shares of its common stock on May 1, with an estimated market value of around $17.1 million.
Shareholding Reduction: Mansueto Joseph has reduced his shareholding in Morningstar (MORN.U.S) by 100,000 shares since February 2, 2026, with a total value of approximately $16.77 million.
See More
Trump Signs Executive Order for New Retirement Accounts
- New Retirement Account Initiative: Trump is set to sign an executive order on Thursday to create a new type of retirement account aimed at approximately 56 million Americans lacking access to 401(k) or other workplace plans, which is expected to significantly enhance retirement savings for low-income groups.
- Federal Matching Contribution: The new accounts will offer a federal matching contribution of up to $1,000, with eligible single taxpayers earning below $20,000 or joint filers below $40,000 qualifying for a 50% match, which is anticipated to encourage more individuals to participate in retirement savings.
- Legislative Support: The order will instruct the White House to collaborate with Congress to propose legislation that expands coverage and savings credits, with experts suggesting that this will make the initiative more sustainable and potentially increase savings among low- to moderate-income individuals.
- Automatic IRA Legislation: Congress has already introduced several bills, including one requiring employers to automatically enroll employees in IRAs, while 17 states have passed laws to establish automatic enrollment individual retirement accounts, reflecting a growing emphasis on promoting retirement savings.
See More
Comparison of SCHD and HDV High-Income ETFs
- Yield and Risk: SCHD offers a dividend yield of 3.3%, surpassing HDV's 3%, while maintaining a lower expense ratio of 0.06% compared to HDV's 0.08%, making SCHD more attractive for long-term investors seeking stable income.
- Assets Under Management: SCHD manages $88.9 billion in assets, significantly larger than HDV's $13.4 billion, which enhances SCHD's resilience against market volatility and provides better liquidity for investors.
- Historical Performance Comparison: Over the past decade, SCHD has achieved an average annual return of 12.5%, notably higher than HDV's 9.3%, indicating a more successful stock selection strategy, particularly during the 2016-2021 period, showcasing its long-term investment value.
- Portfolio Overlap and Sector Distribution: The two funds share a 44% overlap in assets, primarily in consumer staples, energy, and healthcare, but SCHD is more concentrated in industrials and communication services, while HDV has a higher allocation in utilities and energy, which may influence investors' sector preferences and risk profiles.
See More
Morningstar Reports Strong Q1 2026 Earnings Performance
- Non-GAAP EPS: Morningstar's Q1 2026 Non-GAAP EPS reached $3.18, indicating a significant improvement in profitability, which reflects the company's robust performance and enhanced investor confidence in its operations.
- Revenue Growth: The company reported revenue of $644.8 million for Q1, marking a 10.8% year-over-year increase, primarily driven by the expansion of its core business and rising market demand, thereby solidifying Morningstar's position in the financial services sector.
- Market Outlook: Morningstar's strong earnings report lays a solid foundation for future growth, particularly as investor demand for its products and services continues to rise, which is expected to drive higher performance in upcoming quarters.
- Investor Confidence: The financial performance not only boosts market confidence in Morningstar's stock but also provides funding support for the company's future strategic investments and expansion plans, further enhancing its competitiveness in the fiercely contested financial market.
See More
Blockworks Plans to Acquire Rivals to Expand Data Platform
- Funding Expansion Plan: Blockworks plans to acquire rivals using undisclosed funds from its recent fundraising, aiming to enhance its digital asset data platform and become a high-quality tool provider akin to Morningstar, thereby increasing market competitiveness.
- Growing Market Demand: With the rapid growth of the crypto market, Blockworks reported over 500% growth in annual recurring revenue last year, demonstrating its strong capability to meet traders' demands for high-quality data, further driving business expansion.
- Addressing Industry Pain Points: In the absence of a unified data provider, Blockworks aims to consolidate fragmented data services to alleviate traders' challenges in accessing information, thus promoting trading and market growth for digital assets.
- Trust Issue Mitigation: The founder of Blockworks highlighted a trust crisis in the crypto market, emphasizing the need for businesses to enhance transparency to gain institutional investor trust, while the company plans to address this by providing reliable data and information to foster broader asset adoption.
See More
SpaceX Targets Summer IPO with $1.75 Trillion Valuation
- IPO Timeline: SpaceX is targeting an initial public offering (IPO) this summer, with a major investor event scheduled for June 11, and management expects to release a public prospectus by late May, providing investors with an opportunity to participate.
- Valuation Expectations: The company aims for a valuation of $1.75 trillion, significantly higher than its $1.25 trillion valuation at the merger with xAI, although analysts consider a $1.5 trillion valuation 'expensive and risky' yet not irrational, reflecting market confidence in its future growth.
- Strong Market Demand: Early reports indicate robust demand for SpaceX shares, with some investors pouring money into opaque secondary markets, demonstrating a strong desire to own shares, which could drive the valuation well above $1 trillion.
- Future Growth Potential: Despite recording a net loss of about $5 billion in 2025, SpaceX's Starlink division's profitability and high growth rates provide strong value support, and as Starship commercializes, the valuation is expected to become progressively easier to justify.
See More
