Morningstar Canada Announces Keynote Speakers, Agenda for 9th Annual Investment Conference in Toronto

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TORONTO, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Morningstar Research Inc., a Canadian subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, will host its 9th annual investment conference for financial advisors Oct. 4-5 at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto. Driven by Morningstar's commitment to provide advisors with the knowledge, resources, and insight to better serve investors, this year's Morningstar Investment Conference features a hands-on ETF workshop followed by a mix of timely investing topics that will help advisors and their clients take advantage of market opportunities.

During a series of keynote presentations and panel discussions, delegates will hear engaging discussions on a range of investing topics including the state of the industry, the current ETF landscape, the performance of Research Affiliates Fundamental Index (RAFI) strategies, stock selection strategies, the price of gold, strategies for generating income in a low-yield environment, best practices for trading ETFs, and the latest developments in equity and fixed-income markets.

"The Canadian investment funds landscape is rapidly evolving. Today, advisors and investors have more choices than ever before. The 2011 Morningstar Investment Conference will explore a wider range of investments than in the past, including the burgeoning ETF market," said David O'Leary, director of fund analysis for Morningstar Canada. "We have invited experts from across the industry to discuss the merits of various investment products and strategies, their economic outlook, and the potential pitfalls and opportunities that lie ahead."

Morningstar will be seeking accreditation for Continuing Education credits and Professional Development units for all of the conference presentations and panel discussions. Attendees will include financial advisors and brokers accredited through the Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada; certified financial planners; marketing, product management, and research personnel; and the financial media.

Sessions at the 2011 Morningstar Investment Conference in Toronto include:

Opening Keynote: The State of the Industry
James Norris, Vanguard International
Innovation and advances in technology have led to an explosion of new financial products and services. James Norris, managing director of Vanguard International, will discuss those changes and the state of the investment industry today. Vanguard's global reach, breadth of investment products, size, and recent foray into Canada puts James in a position to provide a unique view of the global investment fund landscape.

ETF 101 and 301: The Practitioner's Guide to ETF Investing (Pre-Conference Workshop)
Scott Burns, John Gabriel, and Paul Justice, Morningstar, Inc.
The Morningstar ETF research team will guide attendees through an introduction to ETFs, how to build a portfolio with ETFs, what pitfalls to avoid, and the strategies Morningstar has developed to use ETFs as powerful investment tools.

ETF Executive Panel
Mary Anne Wiley, BlackRock Asset Management Canada Ltd.
Howard J. Atkinson, Horizons Exchange Traded Funds Inc.
Som Seif, Claymore Investments Inc.
Kevin Gopaul, BMO Financial Group
This panel will discuss the current ETF landscape, opportunities and challenges, and the continuing evolution of ETFs in investors' portfolios.

RAFI Strategies: Five Years Later
Robert D. Arnott, Research Affiliates LLC
Five years and 5 stars later, the RAFI strategy has delivered remarkable performance. Join pioneer Robert Arnott as he discusses the source of the outperformance and where else investors can expect the strategy to work.

Assessing the Price of Gold
Christopher J. Goolgasian, State Street Global Advisors
This session addresses the burning question every investor is asking and how to go about finding true value from a fundamental, relative, and perception basis.

Income Focus: Where is the Yield?
Daniel S. Janis, Manulife Asset Management (U.S.) LLC
In a zero-interest-rate world, investors are scrambling for new sources of income. This session takes a look at ways investors can capture yield.

Best Practices in Trade Execution
Andrew McOrmond, WallachBeth Capital LLC
A good investment idea can be all for naught with a bad execution plan. We bring one of the foremost experts on ETF trading to share best practices for trading ETFs. In addition to helping attendees better understand true ETF liquidity, there will also be live demonstrations of large block trades during the session.

Macroeconomic Panel
Eric Lascelles, RBC Global Asset Management Inc.
Jurrien Timmer, Fidelity Investments
A panel of economists and fund managers will discuss their outlook for the global economy and share their thoughts on the latest developments in equity and fixed-income markets. What are the biggest risks to global growth? How quickly and meaningfully are interest rates likely to rise? What's in store for the Canadian dollar? Which market sectors look promising? These and many more questions are up for debate.

Stock Selection Panel
James Hall, Mawer
Viewed in isolation, lists of stocks that portfolio managers are buying or selling aren't that meaningful. Instead, they should be viewed in the context of the manager's investment discipline. Representing contrasting investment styles and strategies, three veteran managers will discuss specific picks that exemplify their approaches to managing money, along with names that fail to meet their criteria. Find out the assumptions behind the managers' picks, and why someone's favoured pick may be another manager's discard.

Registration Information
Registration for the Morningstar Investment Conference is $249 plus applicable taxes until Sept. 5, 2011, and $299 plus applicable taxes thereafter. A pre-conference workshop, The Practitioner's Guide to ETF Investing, will be held on Oct. 4. Registration for the workshop and conference is $328 plus applicable taxes until Sept. 5 and $398 plus applicable taxes thereafter. Full workshop and conference information including the agenda and registration as well as sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities is available at http://corporate.morningstar.com/ca/MIC.

Media Registration
Full-time members of the news media may receive complimentary registration to the Morningstar Investment Conference. If you are a journalist and would like to attend the conference, please contact us via email at canadaconference@morningstar.com.

About Morningstar Research Inc.
Morningstar Research Inc. is a Canadian subsidiary of Chicago-based Morningstar, Inc., a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company offers an extensive line of products and services for individuals, financial advisors, and institutions. Morningstar provides data on approximately 400,000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual funds, and similar vehicles, along with real-time global market data on more than 5 million equities, indexes, futures, options, commodities, and precious metals, in addition to foreign exchange and Treasury markets. Morningstar also offers investment management services through its registered investment advisor subsidiaries and has more than $180 billion in assets under advisement and management as of June 30, 2011. The company has operations in 26 countries.

SOURCE Morningstar Research Inc.

Image with caption: "Panel discussion. (CNW Group/Morningstar Research Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20110907_C9101_PHOTO_EN_2907.jpg

Image with caption: "Scott Burns, Morningstar. (CNW Group/Morningstar Research Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20110907_C9101_PHOTO_EN_2909.jpg

Image with caption: "Som Seif, Claymore Investments Inc. (CNW Group/Morningstar Research Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20110907_C9101_PHOTO_EN_2920.jpg

Image with caption: "Panel discussion. (CNW Group/Morningstar Research Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20110907_C9101_PHOTO_EN_2922.jpg

Video with caption: "Video: ETF Workshop Preview". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20110907_C9101_VIDEO_EN_2924.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20110907_C9101_PHOTO_EN_2924.jpg&clientName=Morningstar%20Research%20Inc%2E&caption=Video%3A%20ETF%20Workshop%20Preview&title=ETF%20Workshop%20Preview

Video with caption: "Video: 2011 Morningstar Investment Conference". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20110907_C9101_VIDEO_EN_2925.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20110907_C9101_PHOTO_EN_2925.jpg&clientName=Morningstar%20Research%20Inc%2E&caption=Video%3A%202011%20Morningstar%20Investment%20Conference&title=2011%20Morningstar%20Investment%20Conference