Six Morningstar Equity Analysts Among Winners of The Wall Street Journal's Annual Best on the Street Analyst Survey, Three Ranked as Best in Industry

CHICAGO, May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, today announced that six of its equity analysts have been honored in The Wall Street Journal's 19th annual Best on the Street analyst survey, published today. Three Morningstar analysts ranked #1, two ranked #2, and one ranked #5 in their respective industries. Morningstar was one of only three research firms that had three analysts who received #1 rankings.

Morningstar analysts who were named "Best on the Street" for 2011 are:

• Daniel Holland, equity analyst, ranked first in the "Electronic & Electrical Equipment" industry, out of 50 analysts;
• Michael Kon, CFA, senior equity analyst, ranked fifth in the "Banks" industry, out of 22 analysts;
• Lauren Migliore, equity analyst, ranked second in the "Biotechnology" industry, out of 73 analysts;
• Keith Schoonmaker, senior equity analyst, ranked first in the "Industrial Transportation" industry, out of 57 analysts;
• David Whiston, CFA, CPE, CFE, senior equity analyst, ranked first in the "Specialty Retailers and Services" industry, out of 78 analysts; and
• Michael Wong, CPA, equity analyst, ranked second in the "Investment Services" industry, out of 45 analysts.

"This is the first year we've participated in the The Wall Street Journal survey, and we're very proud of our analysts' achievements," said Catherine Odelbo, president of equity and credit research for Morningstar. "Our analysts' long-term views, deep industry knowledge, and focus on the sustainable competitive advantages of the approximately 2,000 companies they cover has led to a great performance track record over the years. This honor is a testament to Morningstar's proprietary research methodology and to our talented analysts who bring it to life."

The Wall Street Journal's Best on the Street survey identifies the top five analysts in each of 44 industries, based only on stock-picking skill. The data was assembled by FactSet, a Norwalk, Conn., company that tracks analysts' recommendations and earnings estimates. To determine the winners, FactSet surveyed nearly 7,000 analysts and more than 500 firms, identifying more than 2,000 analysts at nearly 200 firms that fit the criteria to be counted in the rankings. To be eligible, analysts generally had to follow at least five stocks in an industry group during 2010.

Morningstar will feature interviews with the winning analysts on Morningstar.com, http://www.morningstar.com/goto/stockpickers, located on the site's Stocks tab. Morningstar.com Premium members will have access to a special report, "Insights from the Best on the Street," which contains PDF reports of some of the analysts' stock picks.  Institutional investors can access their research and valuation models at Morningstar's institutional research portal, http://select.morningstar.com/welcome/.

Morningstar provides data on approximately 30,000 stocks and has 117 equity and credit analysts worldwide who provide qualitative analyst coverage on about 2,000 companies globally.

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 Contacts:
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SOURCE Morningstar, Inc.