Morningstar Inc's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Morningstar Inc (MORN) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Morningstar Inc vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 2,567M vs 88,837M combined for tracked competitors (2.8% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+3.4% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs holding steady (+0.4%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Morningstar Inc generated 9.6% revenue growth year over year in Q2 2026, vs 7.2% for its tracked competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 16.3% net margin compares with 23.6% for the peer group.
- Scale: Morningstar Inc ranks #37 of 91 companies by market capitalization in the Investment Services industry, holding 0.3% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Morningstar Inc accounted for 2.9% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, up from 2.8% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.23M compares with $0.64M for the peer group (0.4x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
MORN Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Morningstar Inc reported revenue growth of 9.60 % year on year in Q2 2026, above its competitors' combined revenue growth of 7.20 %.
With a net margin of 16.25 %, Morningstar Inc reported lower profitability than its competitors (23.58 %).
Morningstar Inc generated 2.89 % of the combined sales of its peer group, up from 2.83 % a year earlier.
Morningstar Inc vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in an SEC filing; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Morningstar Inc and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Morningstar inc | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (8) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (9) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (4) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Morningstar Inc's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Investment Services industry grew revenue -2.0% year over year, combined, vs 9.6% for Morningstar Inc. Morningstar Inc's share of combined industry revenue moved from 0.24% to 0.26%, a gain of 0.03 percentage points.
Morningstar Inc's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morningstar inc | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Competitors combined (17) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (13) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (10) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 12.50 % (1 of 8) | 42.90 % (3 of 7) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
MORN Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
MORN Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
MORN Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
MORN Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marketwise Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Nasdaq Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Cboe Global Markets Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Equitable Holdings Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Value Line Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Morningstar Inc's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Morningstar Inc's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Morningstar inc
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| Morningstar inc | 7,298.44 | 2,566.50 |
| Cme Group Inc | 95,103.87 | 6,772.60 |
| Intercontinental Exchange Inc | 86,547.06 | 13,505.00 |
| Moody s Corporation | 80,283.96 | 8,183.00 |
| Nasdaq Inc | 52,585.03 | 8,751.00 |
| Ameriprise Financial Inc | 46,093.26 | 19,839.00 |
| SUBTOTAL | 531,909.75 | 100,838.75 |
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Sources: Morningstar inc's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Morningstar inc versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Morningstar Inc's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from SEC filings and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Factset Research Systems Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| MSCI | Named by the company | 85% |
| S&P Global | Named by the company | 85% |
| Strategic Insight’s Simfund | Named by the company | 85% |
| Zephyr | Named by the company | 85% |
| Bloomberg | Named by the company | 85% |
| eVestment Alliance | Named by the company | 85% |
| Kwanti | Named by the company | 85% |
| Pershing’s Wove platform | Named by the company | 85% |
| Russell | Named by the company | 85% |
| Seven | Named by the company | 85% |
| Vanguard | Named by the company | 85% |
| Beauhurst | Named by the company | 85% |
| DBRS Morningstar | Named by the company | 85% |
| ICE Data Services | Named by the company | 85% |
| Nitrogen (formerly known as Riskalyze) | Named by the company | 85% |
| Refinitiv | Named by the company | 85% |
| S&P Global Market Intelligence | Named by the company | 85% |
| Tatton | Named by the company | 85% |
| CapIntel | Named by the company | 85% |
| FE fundinfo | Named by the company | 85% |
| LSEG (Refinitiv) | Named by the company | 85% |
| Preqin | Named by the company | 85% |
| S&P Capital IQ | Named by the company | 85% |
| SPAR | Named by the company | 85% |
| Beyond Meat Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| YCharts | Named by the company | 85% |
| Blackrock | Named by the company | 85% |
| Dimensional | Named by the company | 85% |
| Interactive Data | Named by the company | 85% |
| Orion/Brinker Capital | Named by the company | 85% |
| Refinitiv’s Eikon | Named by the company | 85% |
| SEI Investments | Named by the company | 85% |
| Thomson Reuters | Named by the company | 85% |
| AssetMark | Named by the company | 85% |
| CB Insights | Named by the company | 85% |
| Financial Express | Named by the company | 85% |
| Preqin (a division of BlackRock) | Named by the company | 85% |
| Moody s Corporation | Named by the company | 85% |
| Ameriprise Financial Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
Filing basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Morningstar Inc's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: relationships are extracted from SEC filings (named-competitor disclosures) and corroborating sources. Named by the company = explicitly disclosed as a competitor; Inferred = derived from corroborating signals. Confidence reflects evidence strength.
Morningstar Inc's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Morningstar inc | Morningstar Data and Analytics 33.49 % |
| Intercontinental Exchange Inc | Exchanges 66.94 % |
| Moody s Corporation | Rating Revenue 57.12 % |
| Nasdaq Inc | Market Services 54.19 % |
| Ameriprise Financial Inc | Advice and Wealth Management 66.21 % |
| Msci Inc | Index 58.94 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
Morningstar Inc's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morningstar inc | 7,298 | 233,892 | 38,422 |
| Cme Group Inc | 95,104 | 1,747,768 | 1,103,071 |
| Intercontinental Exchange Inc | 86,547 | 1,051,464 | 319,215 |
| Moody s Corporation | 80,284 | 509,020 | 174,048 |
| Nasdaq Inc | 52,585 | 340,784 | 76,561 |
| Ameriprise Financial Inc | 46,093 | 1,458,750 | 290,294 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 524,611 | 639,165 | 148,380 |
Morningstar Inc's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent filing. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Morningstar inc | United States 72.24 % |
| Moody s Corporation | United States 55.74 % |
| Nasdaq Inc | United States 75.24 % |
| Msci Inc | United States 39.64 % |
| News Corporation | United States and Canada 48.38 % |
| Clearwater Analytics Holdings Inc | United States 73.62 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
Morningstar Inc's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 88 companies in Morningstar Inc's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Morningstar Inc ranks #37 of 88 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.32 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 607, indicating a unconcentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morgan Stanley | 305,186 | 13.29 % |
| 2 | The Goldman Sachs Group Inc | 282,278 | 12.29 % |
| 3 | Blackrock Inc | 177,737 | 7.74 % |
| 4 | Schwab Charles Corp | 171,118 | 7.45 % |
| 5 | Futu Holdings Ltd | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Robinhood Markets Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Cme Group Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Blackstone Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Kkr and co inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Intercontinental Exchange Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 37 | Morningstar inc | 7,337 | 0.32 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Morningstar Inc's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-09-28.
Morningstar Inc's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Jefferies Financial Group Inc | 10,519 | -28.54 % |
| 33 | Figma Inc | 10,362 | -63.88 % |
| 34 | Affiliated Managers Group inc | 9,937 | 55.43 % |
| 35 | Houlihan Lokey Inc | 8,630 | -37.81 % |
| 36 | Stonex Group Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 37 | Morningstar inc | 7,337 | -16.90 % |
| 38 | Victory Capital Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 39 | Pjt Partners Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 40 | Blue Owl Capital Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 41 | Marketaxess Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 42 | Bgc Group Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Morningstar Inc's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-09-28. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Morningstar Inc's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Investment Services industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (78 companies).| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 62.24 % | 61.67 % (avg) | +0.6 pp |
| Operating Margin | 25.13 % | industry median | -11.0 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 32.28 % | 19.52 % (avg) | +12.8 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 5.82 % | 2.93 % (avg) | +2.9 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Morningstar Inc's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Investment Services industry average (78 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 16.3x | 23.9x | -7.6x |
| EV / EBITDA | 9.4x | 12.8x | -3.5x |
| P/B | 5.5x | 3.0x | +2.5x |
| Return on Equity | 35.29 % | industry aggregate | 19.45 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 16.26 % | 8.46 % (avg) | 7.80 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Morningstar Inc's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 11.87 % | 15.60 % | - | - | -3.59 % | 7.07 % | 11.60 % | 7.49 % |
| Operating Margin | 21.16 % | 16.08 % | - | 15.07 % | 23.22 % | 15.82 % | 21.88 % | 23.21 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 10.76 % | 7.42 % | - | 7.46 % | 11.74 % | 8.41 % | 12.30 % | 13.75 % |
| P/E | 27.1x | 44.1x | - | 70.6x | 129.9x | 84.5x | 39.6x | 23.9x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Morningstar Inc's Strategic Group Map
Every company in Morningstar Inc's industry and named-competitor list, plotted by trailing 12-month revenue growth and operating margin. Morningstar Inc is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC (the Similar Growth & Profitability group above) are labeled.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Morningstar Inc's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Relative market share (vs Morningstar Inc's largest competitor by market cap) against industry revenue growth, using the standard textbook thresholds (1.0x share, 10% growth) a common framework, not a precision instrument.
Morningstar Inc falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.02x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 9.2% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution.
Morningstar Inc's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | High | Industry HHI of 607 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | High (capital intensive) | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 5.82 % vs industry average 2.93 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See Morningstar Inc's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See Morningstar Inc's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
Morningstar Inc's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
Morningstar Inc falls in the Medium attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Selective.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Morningstar Inc's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Return on equity 19.5 points above the industry aggregate.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+3.4% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Weaknesses
- Operating margin 11.0 points below the industry median.
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.02x).
Opportunities
- Trades at a lower P/E than the industry average (16.3x vs 23.9x) despite a higher return on invested capital -- a possible re-rating opportunity.
- A meaningful share of tracked competitors (31.30 %) show financial-distress signals, a possible opening to gain share.
Threats
- High capital intensity requires continuous reinvestment just to keep pace with the industry.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
Morningstar Inc's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morningstar inc | 0.12 | 1.04 | 1.12 |
| Cme Group Inc | 0.02 | 1.00 | 0.12 |
| Intercontinental Exchange Inc | 0.02 | 0.95 | 0.68 |
| Moody s Corporation | 0.60 | 1.44 | 1.95 |
| Nasdaq Inc | 0.11 | 1.11 | 0.74 |
| Ameriprise Financial Inc | 0.21 | 0.19 | 0.36 |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Morningstar Inc's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morningstar inc | Q2 2026 | +9.6 % | +21.1 % |
| Cme Group Inc | Q2 2026 | +0.8 % | +2.9 % |
| Intercontinental Exchange Inc | Q2 2026 | +9.7 % | +12.7 % |
| Moody s Corporation | Q2 2026 | +15.1 % | +51.8 % |
| Nasdaq Inc | Q2 2026 | +21.1 % | +12.2 % |
| Ameriprise Financial Inc | Q2 2026 | +11.6 % | +5.0 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +7.0 % | -5.7 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Morningstar Inc's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morningstar inc | Q2 2026 | +3.8 % | -9.3 % |
| Cme Group Inc | Q2 2026 | - | +28.3 % |
| Intercontinental Exchange Inc | Q2 2026 | - | +56.9 % |
| Moody s Corporation | Q2 2026 | +5.9 % | +21.3 % |
| Nasdaq Inc | Q2 2026 | +29.8 % | +30.5 % |
| Ameriprise Financial Inc | Q2 2026 | +47.0 % | -2.6 % |
Morningstar Inc's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morningstar inc | 11.18% | 15.21% | 35.29% |
| Cme Group Inc | 2.19% | 3.58% | 15.54% |
| Intercontinental Exchange Inc | 2.60% | 3.16% | 14.04% |
| Moody s Corporation | 18.45% | 21.89% | 76.52% |
| Nasdaq Inc | 6.76% | 7.29% | 16.28% |
| Ameriprise Financial Inc | 2.07% | 2.61% | 61.73% |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Morningstar Inc's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Morningstar inc | 18.12 | 2.84 |
| Cme Group Inc | 22.33 | 14.04 |
| Intercontinental Exchange Inc | 21.63 | 6.41 |
| Moody s Corporation | 29.21 | 9.81 |
| Nasdaq Inc | 27.02 | 6.01 |
| Ameriprise Financial Inc | 12.03 | 2.32 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 22.89 | 5.27 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.