Morningstar Announces Keynote Speakers, Agenda for 23rd Annual Investment Conference

CHICAGO, May 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, is hosting its 23rd annual investment conference for financial advisors Wednesday, June 8 through Friday, June 10, at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.

This year's keynote speakers are Bill Gross, founder, managing director and co-chief investment officer of PIMCO, who will speak on June 8; Laurence Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, who will address attendees on June 10; and David Laibson, Harvard University professor of economics, who will close the conference on June 10 with a look at how a person's life cycle affects financial decision making.

"Market volatility is still foremost on many investors' minds, but the goal of the Morningstar Investment Conference is to nurture sound, fundamental investing principles which endure through any market conditions," said Don Phillips, president of fund research for Morningstar. "No other conference brings together top industry thought leaders—fund managers, investment professionals, academic experts, Morningstar analysts—with financial advisors to explore the current investor landscape and debate the answers to the investing world's most pressing questions."

General sessions feature some of the industry's top portfolio managers and thought leaders:

• Will Browne, managing director, Tweedy, Browne Company; Kenneth Feinberg, portfolio manager, The Selected Funds; and David Poppe, portfolio co-manager, Sequoia Fund; who will discuss the risks and rewards facing active stock fund managers today.
• Cory Gilchrist, portfolio manager, Marsico Capital Management; Anne Gudefin, executive vice president, PIMCO; and Dennis Stattman, managing director, BlackRock; who will reveal global stock strategies and talk about where they are finding the most exciting growth opportunities.
• Bruce Berkowitz, founder and chief investment officer of Fairholme Capital Management; who will take part in a free-wheeling and wide-ranging one-on-one conversation with Morningstar's Don Phillips.
• Bill Eigen, chief investment officer of absolute return and opportunistic fixed income, J.P. Morgan; Rick Rieder, chief investment officer of fixed income, fundamental portfolios, BlackRock; and David Rolley, portfolio manager, Loomis, Sayles & Co.; who will debate the challenges and opportunities confronting  bond investors, as well as offer up some ideas for bond bargain-hunting.

Breakout sessions on June 9 include:

• Tom Allen, portfolio manager, Fidelity Investments; Michael Carmen, equity portfolio manager, Wellington Management; and David Giroux, portfolio manager, T. Rowe Price; who will discuss how they maximize research and tools to hone their stock strategies.  
• Ben Allen, portfolio manager, Parnassus Investments; Paul Hilton, director of sustainable investment business strategy, Calvert Investments; and Jack Robinson, founder and chief investment officer, Winslow Management; who will take aim at the notion that sustainable investing is simply a fad and detail growth opportunities presented in the category.  
• MacKenzie Davis, portfolio manager, RS Investments; Bob Greer, executive vice president, PIMCO; and Geoff Jay, equity research analyst, Janus; who will provide their thoughts on investing in commodities markets and discuss macroeconomic drivers in the space.
• David Daglio, portfolio manager, The Boston Company; Michael Keller, senior vice president, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co; and Keith Lee, managing director and senior portfolio manager, Brown Capital Management; who will discuss the successful strategies behind their under-the-radar funds with impressive long-term records.
• Axel Merk, president and chief investment officer, Merk Funds; K.C. Nelson, portfolio manager, Driehaus Capital Management; and Tom Schwab, chief investment officer and portfolio co-manager, The Collar Fund; who will explore fixed-income alternative investment strategies.
• Peng Chen, president of global investment management, Morningstar; Ben Inker, head of asset allocation, GMO; and Ross Levin, founding principal and president, Accredited Investors; who will share their views on asset allocation and the role different asset classes should play in a portfolio.
• George Evans, senior vice president and director of equities, OppenheimerFunds; David Herro, chief investment officer and portfolio manager, The Oakmark Funds; and Bob Smith, portfolio manager, T. Rowe Price; who will debate whether emerging markets are overheated or full of opportunity.

Breakout sessions on June 10 include:

• Jesper Madsen, portfolio manager, Matthews China Dividend, who will give his take on less-volatile means of investing in Chinese capital markets, in the latest installment of the conference's popular "Investing 501" sessions.
• John Cummings, executive vice president, PIMCO; Guy Davidson, director of municipal fixed income, AllianceBernstein; Lyle Fitterer, portfolio manager, Wells Fargo Advantage Funds; who will go beyond the dire predictions for municipal bonds to discuss the possibilities of these investments.
• Tom Hancock, lead manager of international quantitative portfolios, GMO; Steve Leuthold, founder and chief investment officer, Leuthold Weeden Capital Management; and John Montgomery, founder and portfolio manager, Bridgeway Funds; who will examine momentum investing's recent return to form.
• Hal Ratner, senior consultant for investment management, Morningstar; and Sue Thompson, managing director, BlackRock; who will address best practices for advisors blending ETFs and mutual funds to create a complete portfolio for their clients.

In addition, senior members of Morningstar's fund research staff will hold a roundtable on June 8, moderated by CNBC's Tyler Mathisen, to discuss and debate opportunities and threats on the horizon for fund investors. On June 9, Morningstar's equity research team will discuss ways to generate income in a low-yield environment.

Registration Information

The Morningstar Investment Conference costs $795 per person, which includes two breakfasts, luncheons, and receptions. To register for the conference, advisors may call toll free at 866-839-9729.

More information about the Morningstar Investment Conference, including the full agenda, hotel accommodations, exhibiting opportunities, attendee registration, and continuing-education credits, is available at http://www.morningstaradvisor.com/MIC2011. Conference updates are also available on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/MStarAdvisor or through the conference hashtag: #MIC2011. In addition, Morningstar will again provide conference attendees with a free conference mobile application, available to download for the iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android. The mobile app allows attendees to view the agenda, sessions, and sponsor and exhibit information; register for continuing education credits; and follow conversation about the conference through the #MIC2011 conference hashtag.

Press Registration Information

Full-time members of the news media may receive complimentary registration to the Morningstar Investment Conference. If you are a member of the media and want to register for the conference, visit: http://global.morningstar.com/mediaregistration or call Shawn Malayter at 312-696-6050.

About Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company offers an extensive line of Internet, software, and print-based products and services for individuals, financial advisors, and institutions. Morningstar provides data on approximately 390,000 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 and has nearly $140 billion in assets under advisement and management as of March 31, 2011. The company has operations in 26 countries.

©2011 Morningstar, Inc.  All rights reserved.

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Media Contact:
Margaret Kirch Cohen, 312-696-6383, [email protected]
Shawn Malayter, 312-696-6050, [email protected]

SOURCE Morningstar, Inc.