Morningstar Announces Keynote Speaker, Agenda for Annual Morningstar Ibbotson Conference, Feb. 23-24

CHICAGO, Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, today announced that the Morningstar Ibbotson Conference is taking place Feb. 23-24 at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Fla. The conference, which is Morningstar's premier event for institutions, will feature prominent speakers from academic institutions and the financial services industry who will discuss new research and techniques in asset allocation, investment research, and portfolio construction.

Thomas Sargent, winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences and professor of economics and business at New York University, will deliver the keynote address. Sargent will discuss the role of government policy and regulation in the midst of today's economic crisis.

General session speakers include:

• Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist for Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., who will address the state of the markets and the forces that shape the economic landscape;
• Charles Nelson, president of Great-West Retirement Services, who will discuss the opportunities and challenges in the retirement industry as defined contribution plans become the primary source for retirement security;
• Meir Statman, Ph.D., Glenn Klimek professor of finance at Santa Clara University, who will address investor desires and behavioral finance;
• William A. Strauss, senior economist and economic advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, who will provide his economic outlook for 2012; and
• Roger Ibbotson, Ph.D., founder of Ibbotson Associates, professor of finance at Yale School of Management, and partner at Zebra Capital Management, who will examine the quarter-century controversy over the importance of asset allocation.

Additional academic and industry experts as well as thought leaders from Morningstar will present a series of breakout sessions, a number of which are designed specifically to help large plan sponsors. Topics include dynamic asset allocation, new techniques for mutual fund selection, target-date fund glide path stability, credit and liquidity risks of stable value products, asset-class- versus risk-factor-based asset allocation; and incorporating non-normal return assumptions into fund of funds optimization. In addition, John Rekenthaler, vice president of research for Morningstar will present an overview of the methodology behind the new Morningstar Analyst Rating™ for funds.

"There's a great deal of uncertainty in the markets as Europe struggles through a financial crisis and the United States faces record deficits. Individual investors, advisors, and institutions are questioning whether the global economy is in a temporary slump or has reached an enduring phase of low growth or even contraction," said Peng Chen, president of Morningstar's Investment Management division. "We're pleased to bring together thought leaders from academia and the investment management industry to share their views on the economy and explore new ideas and techniques for investing in this increasingly sophisticated and interdependent global market."

In addition to the conference, Morningstar will host an institutional software symposium focused on asset allocation for Morningstar Direct(SM) and Morningstar® EnCorr® clients on Wednesday, Feb. 22. Clients will receive training from product experts, trade ideas with peers, and explore Morningstar methodologies.

For more information or to register for the conference, please visit http://advisor.morningstar.com/products/conference/ibbotson2012_home.asp or call 877-525-3257. Attendance is $1,150 per person, and early registration is available for $995 until Jan. 25, 2012. Attendees may earn continuing education credits from the CFP^® Board (CFP license) and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).

Full-time members of the news media may attend the conference at no cost, but must register in advance by contacting Alexa Auerbach at 312-696-6481 or [email protected].

About Ibbotson Associates, Inc. and Morningstar, Inc.

Ibbotson Associates, Inc. is a registered investment advisor and a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. Ibbotson Associates, along with Morningstar's other investment advisory subsidiaries, comprise the Morningstar Investment Management division. These registered investment advisor subsidiaries provide independent investment management and consulting services to institutions and advisors and have more than $167 billion in assets under advisement and management as of Sept. 30, 2011.

Morningstar, Inc. is 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 330,000 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. The company has operations in 26 countries.

©2011 Morningstar, Inc.  All rights reserved.

MORN-C

Media Contact: 
Alexa Auerbach, 312-696-6481 or [email protected]

SOURCE Morningstar, Inc.