Morningstar, Inc. (MORN), founded in 1984, is a preeminent international investment research and investment management firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company provides independent insights and data analytics to both individuals and institutions with the objective of educating and empowering investors to make informed financial decisions.
Morningstar's comprehensive platform is designed to provide investment-related information, including details on stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other types of investment vehicles. It delivers sound data, proprietary research, and valuable investment tools and services to investors to help them meet their financial goals. The aim is not to advise investors on what to buy, but to grant them understanding and knowledge to make better, more strategic investments.
Morningstar offers a suite of solutions that supports every step of the investing process, including research, data, software, and professional services. For individual investors, Morningstar Direct and Morningstar.com provide thorough and impartial investment analysis, advice, and software tools. For institutional investors including asset managers, retirement plan providers, and wealth management professionals, Morningstar offers data solutions, software tools, research, ratings, and investment management services.
The company, as of 2020, manages $244 billion in assets for more than 11 million individual, advisor, and institutional clients in 27 countries. Morningstar, Inc. has a global staff of about 7,000 employees and operates in 27 countries across North, Central, and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.
Morningstar, Inc.'s business model is built around its commitment to independence and transparency in the financial sector. The firm does not manage its own funds, which eliminates potential conflicts of interest and allows it to focus on providing unbiased research and recommendations. This commitment has made Morningstar one of the most respected and trusted names in investment research.
Actively contributing to the ever-evolving financial services industry, Morningstar is widely recognized for fostering investor-centric solutions and pushing for reforms that benefit investors. Its high-quality research products, straightforward advice, and innovative tools combined with the highest standards of data integrity, have made Morningstar a global leader in empowering investor success.
In conclusion, Morningstar, Inc. is not just an investment research firm, but a company committed to illuminating the path for financial freedom for everyone, whether individual investors or financial professionals, thus living up to its mission: “Empower Investor Success”.