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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

 

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): July 26, 2023

 

MORNINGSTAR, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Illinois 000-51280 36-3297908
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
(Commission
File Number)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

 

  22 West Washington Street  
  Chicago, Illinois 60602
  (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

(312) 696-6000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

¨Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company ¨

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of Each Class Trading Symbol Name of Each Exchange on Which
Registered
Common stock, no par value MORN The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 2.02.Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

 

On July 27, 2023, Morningstar, Inc. (the “Company”) issued an amended press release announcing its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023. A copy of the amended press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

 

Item 7.01.Regulation FD Disclosure.

 

On July 26, 2023, the Company published a Supplemental Presentation. The Supplemental Presentation is included as Exhibit 99.2 to this Form 8-K. On July 26, 2023, the Company published a Shareholder letter. The Shareholder letter is included as Exhibit 99.3 to this Form 8-K. The information set forth under Item 2.02, "Results of Operations and Financial Condition" is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01.Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

Include the following information:

 

(d)Exhibits:

 

Exhibit No.   Description
     
99.1   Amended Press Release dated July 27, 2023.
99.2   Supplemental Presentation dated July 26, 2023.
99.3   Shareholder letter dated July 26, 2023.
104   The cover page from this Current Report on Form 8-K formatted in Inline XBRL (included as Exhibit 101).

 

 2 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.   Description
     
99.1   Amended Press Release dated July 27, 2023.
99.2   Supplemental Presentation dated July 26, 2023.
99.3   Shareholder letter dated July 26, 2023.
104   The cover page from this Current Report on Form 8-K formatted in Inline XBRL (included as Exhibit 101).

 

 3 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

  MORNINGSTAR, INC.
     
     
Date:  July 28, 2023 By: /s/ Jason Dubinsky
  Name: Jason Dubinsky
  Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

 4 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

 

  News Release

 

  22 West Washington Street      Telephone: +1 312 696-6000
     
  Chicago      Facsimile: +1 312 696-6009
     
  Illinois 60602  

 

Correction Notice: On July 27, 2023, Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN) issued this amended press release (originally published on July 26, 2023), which corrects the calculation and related percentage changes of adjusted diluted net income per share for the quarter-ended June 30, 2023.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Morningstar, Inc. Reports Second-Quarter 2023 Financial Results

 

CHICAGO, July 26, 2023 - Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment insights, posted solid second-quarter revenue growth, driven by the performance of its license-based products.

 

"Our license-based products continued to perform strongly, while transaction-based revenue was impacted by continued weakness in the issuance of commercial-mortgage-backed securities in the United States," said Kunal Kapoor, Morningstar's chief executive officer. "We're managing the business with a focus on returning to our historical peak margins. We are also delivering on the integration of LCD into PitchBook, and recently launched Direct Lens to broaden the capabilities available to Direct clients.”

 

The Company is introducing a quarterly shareholder letter to provide more context on its quarterly results and business, which can be found at shareholders.morningstar.com.

 

Second-Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights

 

Reported revenue grew 7.3% to $504.7 million; organic revenue grew 5.1%.

 

Reported operating income declined 22.6% to $41.7 million; adjusted operating income declined 5.0%. Reported results included $4.0 million in severance costs related to reorganizations in certain areas of the business, excluding activities related to our China operations. These severance costs contributed 7.4 percentage points to the decline in operating income and accounted for the full decline in adjusted operating income.

 

 

 

 

Diluted net income per share increased 20.0% to $0.84 versus $0.70 in the prior-year period; adjusted diluted net income per share increased 11.1% to $1.30.

 

Cash provided by operating activities decreased 64.3% to $24.5 million. Free cash flow was negative $5.8 million versus positive $37.0 million in the prior-year period. Cash flows were negatively impacted by certain items described below totaling $63.1 million. Excluding these items and similar items in the prior-year period for comparability, cash provided by operating activities and free cash flow would have decreased by 19.4% and 25.6%, respectively.

 

Year-To-Date Financial Highlights

 

Reported revenue increased 6.1% to $984.4 million; organic revenue growth was 4.0%.

 

Reported operating income decreased 40.0% to $66.2 million; adjusted operating income decreased by 22.1%.

 

Diluted net income per share decreased 62.1% to $0.67 versus $1.77 in the prior-year period; adjusted diluted net income per share decreased by 27.1% to $1.86.

 

Cash provided by operating activities decreased 48.0% to $47.9 million. Free cash flow was negative $11.9 million, compared to positive $32.5 million in the prior-year period. Cash flows were negatively impacted by certain items totaling $74.5 million. Excluding these items and similar items in the prior-year period for comparability, cash provided by operating activities and free cash flow would have decreased by 7.4% and 13.7%, respectively.

 

Second-Quarter 2023 Results

 

Revenue grew 7.3% to $504.7 million. Organic revenue, which excludes all M&A-related revenue and foreign currency effects, grew 5.1% versus the prior-year period, reflecting solid growth in the Company's license-based product areas, offset by declines in its transaction-based product areas, which continued to face market-driven headwinds.

 

License-based revenue increased 14.8% versus the prior-year period, or 12.2% on an organic basis. PitchBook, Morningstar Sustainalytics' license-based products, Morningstar Data, and Morningstar Direct, all provided meaningful contributions to reported and organic revenue growth in the quarter. Asset-based revenue declined 0.4% year-over-year, or 1.4% organically, as growth in Morningstar Indexes' asset-based products and Workplace Solutions was offset by a decline in Investment Management revenue. Transaction-based revenue declined 18.5% compared to the prior-year period, or 19.5% on an organic basis, due to continued softness in U.S. commercial-mortgage-backed securities ratings activity, weakness in Morningstar Sustainalytics' second-party opinion product, and a decline in Morningstar.com ad revenue.

 

Page 2 of 15

 

 

Operating expense increased 11.2% to $463.0 million, including costs of $7.3 million as the Company continued the reduction and shift of its China operations, which are nearing successful completion. Excluding the impact of these costs and M&A-related expenses and amortization, operating expense increased 9.6%. The largest contributors to operating expense growth were compensation costs, severance costs, and depreciation.

 

Compensation costs increased $36.0 million, reflecting growth in headcount across key product areas over the past year. Headcount increased 12.6% from the prior-year period to 12,126 at the end of the quarter. The increase in headcount compared to the prior-year period was greatest for the PitchBook and Morningstar Sustainalytics product areas to support strategic growth initiatives. Headcount decreased 2.3% sequentially from Mar. 31, 2023.

 

Severance costs increased $6.1 million, including $4.0 million related to reorganizations in certain areas of the business as the Company identified opportunities for efficiencies, as well as $1.7 million in severance costs related to the reduction and shift of the Company's China operations.

 

Depreciation increased $5.0 million as a result of higher capitalized software costs for product enhancements in prior periods and higher leasehold improvements.

 

The above increases were partially mitigated by a $7.3 million decline in stock-based compensation expense, primarily driven by the renewal of the PitchBook management bonus plan. The new three-year plan mirrors the incentive structure of prior plans, featuring lower target payouts in the first two years compared with the third year of the plan. In 2022, higher stock-based compensation was driven in large part by the overachievement of targets for the third year of the prior PitchBook management bonus plan.

 

Second-quarter operating income was $41.7 million, a decline of 22.6%. Adjusted operating income was $69.7 million, a decline of 5.0%. Second-quarter operating margin was 8.3%, compared with 11.5% in the prior-year period. Adjusted operating margin was 13.8% in the second quarter of 2023, versus 15.6% in the prior-year period. Severance costs related to certain reorganizations excluding the Company's China activities, negatively impacted operating margin and adjusted operating margin by 0.8 percentage points.

 

Page 3 of 15

 

 

Net income in the second quarter of 2023 was $36.1 million, or $0.84 per diluted share, compared with net income of $30.1 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2022, an increase of 20.0% on a per share basis. Adjusted diluted net income per share increased 11.1% to $1.30 in the second quarter of 2023, compared with $1.17 in the second quarter of the prior-year period.

 

The Company's effective tax rate was negative 20.7% in the second quarter of 2023 and positive 7.2% for the 2023 year-to-date period, reflecting a decrease of 40.4 and 17.3 percentage points, respectively, compared to the prior-year periods. The decrease in the second quarter was primarily due to the recognition of $13.7 million of tax benefits related to the approval of a retroactive tax election with respect to our 2021 and 2022 tax periods, which was referenced in the fourth quarter 2022 earnings release. The tax benefit increased diluted net income per share by $0.15.

 

Product Area Highlights

 

On a consolidated basis, PitchBook, Morningstar Sustainalytics, Morningstar Data, and Morningstar Direct were the top four contributors to organic revenue growth in the second quarter of 2023. (For performance of the largest product areas and key metrics, refer to the Supplemental Data table contained in this release and the Supplemental Presentation included on our Investor Relations website at shareholders.morningstar.com under "Financials — Financial Summary".)

 

Highlights of these and other product areas are provided below. Organic revenue excludes all M&A-related revenue and foreign currency effects. Foreign currency effects accounted for the entire difference between reported and organic growth in the quarter for Morningstar Data, Morningstar Direct, Morningstar Advisor Workstation, and DBRS Morningstar.

 

PitchBook revenue grew 21.0% on a reported and organic basis, driven by continued strength in its core investor and advisor segments, which offset some softness in the company (corporate) segment, compared to a particularly strong prior-year period. Licenses grew 16.2%, reflecting both new client users and expansion with existing clients, as well as variability driven by user maintenance activities and updates to user lists when enterprise clients renew. During the quarter, product enhancements included the addition of Leveraged Commentary & Data (LCD) news and research to the PitchBook platform, providing users with centralized access to private equity and credit coverage, while the PitchBook newsletter surpassed two million subscribers. Results exclude contributions from the LCD acquisition.

 

Page 4 of 15

 

 

Morningstar Data revenue grew 7.9%, or 8.3% on an organic basis, driven by increases in North America and supported by the addition of new asset- and wealth-management clients. At the product level, fund data continued to be the key driver of revenue growth, followed by growth in Morningstar Essentials and equity data.

 

Morningstar Direct revenue grew by 9.0%, or 9.3% on an organic basis, reflecting growth across all geographies and supported by the addition of new asset- and wealth-management clients. Direct licenses increased 3.1%.

 

DBRS Morningstar revenue declined 16.9%, or 15.9% on an organic basis, primarily as a result of a sharp drop in revenue from commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) ratings, as U.S. CMBS new issuance ratings revenue decreased 80% compared to the prior-year period. Ratings revenue from financial institutions and sovereigns also declined. These decreases were partially mitigated by growth in revenue from asset-backed securities ratings and corporate credit ratings. Revenue related to data products also increased. Organic revenue declined sharply in the U.S. and modestly in Europe but grew in Canada.

 

Investment Management revenue declined 2.0%, or 10.7% on an organic basis. Reported assets under management and advisement (AUMA) increased 5.6% to $53.1 billion compared with the prior-year period, due to market gains. Despite this increase in AUMA, organic revenue decreased due to the timing of client contract billings, which were largely based on assets as of Mar. 31, 2023, and the decline in asset values across global markets over the prior 12-month period. Total AUMA included $5.1 billion of assets related to the acquisition of Praemium's U.K. and international offerings, which closed on June 30, 2022. Organic results exclude contributions from Praemium.

 

Morningstar Sustainalytics revenue grew 12.7% on a reported and organic basis. License-based revenue increased 26.2%, or 26.7% on an organic basis, while transaction-based revenue declined 56.5%, or 56.6% on an organic basis. License-based product revenue growth was driven by strong demand for regulatory and compliance solutions in EMEA, with somewhat slower growth in the U.S. reflecting softening in the retail asset management and wealth management segments. Although sustainable bond issuance rebounded, transaction-based revenue was impacted by constraints on demand for second-party opinions (SPOs) as some sustainable bond issuers came to market without new or updated SPOs, instead relying on Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certifications or SPOs initially obtained for bonds issued earlier under the same program.

 

Page 5 of 15

 

 

Workplace Solutions revenue increased 3.8% on a reported and organic basis. AUMA increased 3.9% to $210.4 billion compared with the prior-year period, reflecting market gains.

 

Morningstar Advisor Workstation revenue grew 6.8%, or 7.3% on an organic basis. The January launch of the Investment Planning Experience, a new workflow which helps advisors meet demand for more personalized advice for investors, contributed to upsells with enterprise clients and the expansion of Advisor Workstation's footprint with individual advisors. The Company also integrated new capabilities into the App Hub and launched upgrades to the user experience for core Workstation features to provide a more robust platform experience for advisors.

 

Morningstar Indexes revenue grew 25.3%, or 15.1% on an organic basis. The increase in revenue was driven by growth in investable product revenue, supported in part by market gains. Licensed-data revenue also increased, with contributions from LCD-related index data, which was included in organic growth for the month of June.

 

Reduction and Shift of China Operations

 

In July 2022, the Company began to significantly reduce its operations in Shenzhen, China and shift the work related to its global business functions, including global product and software development, managed investment data collection and analysis, and equity data collection and analysis, to other Morningstar locations. Costs related to this transition totaled $7.3 million in the second quarter of 2023, including severance and personnel costs; transformation costs, which consist of professional fees and the temporary duplication of headcount as the Company hires replacement roles in other markets and continues to employ certain Shenzhen-based staff through the transition; and asset impairment costs. Cash outflows for severance paid related to the transition totaled $3.2 million in the second quarter of 2023 and $10.1 million for the year-to-date period.

 

Page 6 of 15

 

 

The Company expects that these activities will be substantially complete by the end of the third quarter of 2023 and will result in lower ongoing run-rate costs from the overall net reduction in the related headcount and certain overhead expenses.

 

Balance Sheet and Capital Allocation

 

As of June 30, 2023, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, and investments totaling $378.2 million and $1.2 billion of debt, compared with $414.6 million and $1.1 billion, respectively, as of Dec. 31, 2022.

 

Cash provided by operating activities decreased 64.3% to $24.5 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to the prior-year period. Free cash flow was negative $5.8 million, compared to positive $37.0 million in the prior-year period. The decreases in cash provided by operating activities and free cash flow were driven by the cash payment of $59.9 million related to the termination of the license agreement with Morningstar Japan K.K. (renamed SBI Global Asset Management Co, Ltd.), which is reflected in "Other assets and liabilities" within operating activities on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and $3.2 million in severance paid related to the reduction and shift of the Company's China operations. Excluding the impact of these items and M&A-related earn-out payments in the prior-year period, cash provided by operating activities and free cash flow would have decreased by 19.4% and 25.6%, respectively. These declines were primarily due to lower cash earnings in the quarter, which were impacted by higher interest expense. In addition, the Company paid $16.0 million in dividends in the quarter and repurchased $1.4 million in shares.

 

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

 

The tables at the end of this press release include a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures used by the Company to comparable GAAP measures and an explanation of why the Company uses them.

 

Investor Communication

 

Morningstar encourages all interested parties — including securities analysts, current shareholders, potential shareholders, and others — to submit questions in writing. Investors and others may send questions about Morningstar’s business to [email protected]. Morningstar will make written responses to selected inquiries available to all investors at the same time in Form 8-Ks furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, periodically.

 

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About Morningstar, Inc.

 

Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment insights in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The Company offers an extensive line of products and services for individual investors, financial advisors, asset managers and owners, retirement plan providers and sponsors, and institutional investors in the debt and private capital markets. Morningstar provides data and research insights on a wide range of investment offerings, including managed investment products, publicly listed companies, private capital markets, debt securities, and real-time global market data. Morningstar also offers investment management services through its investment advisory subsidiaries, with approximately $264 billion in assets under advisement and management as of June 30, 2023. The Company operates through wholly- or majority-owned subsidiaries in 32 countries. For more information, visit www.morningstar.com/company. Follow Morningstar on Twitter @MorningstarInc.

 

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

 

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on our current expectations about future events or future financial performance. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, and often contain words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “prospects,” or “continue.” These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the events we discuss not to occur or to differ significantly from what we expect. For us, these risks and uncertainties include, among others, failing to maintain and protect our brand, independence, and reputation; liability related to cybersecurity and the protection of confidential information, including personal information about individuals; compliance failures, regulatory action, or changes in laws applicable to our credit ratings operations, investment advisory, ESG and index businesses; failing to innovate our product and service offerings, or anticipate our clients’ changing needs; prolonged volatility or downturns affecting the financial sector, global financial markets, and the global economy and its effect on our revenue from asset-based fees and our credit ratings business; failing to recruit, develop, and retain qualified employees; liability for any losses that result from errors in our automated advisory tools; inadequacy of our operational risk management and business continuity programs in the event of a material disruptive event; failing to realize the expected business or financial benefits of our acquisitions and investments; failing to scale our operations and increase productivity and its effect on our ability to implement our business plan; artificial intelligence and related new technologies

 

may present business, compliance, and reputational risks; failing to maintain growth across our businesses in today's fragmented geopolitical, regulatory and cultural world; liability relating to the information and data we collect, store, use, create, and distribute or the reports that we publish or are produced by our software products; the potential adverse effect of our indebtedness on our cash flows and financial flexibility; challenges in accounting for complexities in taxes in the global jurisdictions in which we operate that could materially affect our tax rate; and failing to protect our intellectual property rights or claims of intellectual property infringement against us. A more complete description of these risks and uncertainties can be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. If any of these risks and uncertainties materialize, our actual future results and other future events may vary significantly from what we expect. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events.

 

# # #

 

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Media Relations Contact:

 

Stephanie Lerdall, +1 312-244-7805, [email protected]

 

Investor Relations Contact:

 

Sarah Bush, +1 312-384-3754, [email protected]

 

©2023 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

MORN-E

 

Page 9 of 15

 

 

Morningstar, Inc. and Subsidiaries

 

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

 

   Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30, 
(in millions, except per share amounts)  2023   2022   Change   2023   2022   Change 
Revenue  $504.7   $470.4    7.3%  $984.4   $927.4    6.1%
Operating expense:                              
Cost of revenue   216.4    197.6    9.5%   435.2    388.9    11.9%
Sales and marketing   109.5    91.8    19.3%   217.1    173.2    25.3%
General and administrative   90.1    87.1    3.4%   174.1    177.4    (1.9)%
Depreciation and amortization   47.0    40.0    17.5%   91.8    77.6    18.3%
Total operating expense   463.0    416.5    11.2%   918.2    817.1    12.4%
Operating income   41.7    53.9    (22.6)%   66.2    110.3    (40.0)%
Operating margin   8.3%   11.5%   (3.2)pp   6.7%   11.9%   (5.2)pp
                               
Non-operating income (loss), net:                              
Interest expense, net   (14.1)   (4.4)   NMF    (27.4)   (6.8)   NMF 
Expense from equity method transaction, net           —%    (11.8)       NMF 
Other income (loss), net   4.1    (10.2)   NMF    6.8    (1.2)   NMF 
Non-operating income (loss), net   (10.0)   (14.6)   (31.5)%   (32.4)   (8.0)   NMF 
                               
Income before income taxes and equity in investments of unconsolidated entities   31.7    39.3    (19.3)%   33.8    102.3    (67.0)%
Equity in investments of unconsolidated entities   (1.8)   (1.8)   —%    (3.1)   (1.4)   NMF 
Income tax expense (benefit)   (6.2)   7.4    NMF    2.2    24.7    (91.1)%
Consolidated net income  $36.1   $30.1    19.9%  $28.5   $76.2    (62.6)%
                               
Net income per share:                              
Basic  $0.85   $0.71    19.7%  $0.67   $1.78    (62.4)%
Diluted  $0.84   $0.70    20.0%  $0.67   $1.77    (62.1)%
Weighted average shares outstanding:                              
Basic   42.6    42.6    —%    42.6    42.8    (0.5)%
Diluted   42.8    42.9    (0.2)%   42.8    43.1    (0.7)%

 

 

NMF - Not meaningful, pp - percentage points

 

Page 10 of 15

 

 

Morningstar, Inc. and Subsidiaries

 

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

   As of June 30,   As of December 31, 
(in millions)  2023   2022 
Assets          
Current assets:          
Cash and cash equivalents  $343.3   $376.6 
Investments   34.9    38.0 
Accounts receivable, net   321.8    307.9 
Income tax receivable, net   15.1     
Other current assets   92.2    88.3 
Total current assets   807.3    810.8 
           
Goodwill   1,584.7    1,571.7 
Intangible assets, net   518.5    548.6 
Property, equipment, and capitalized software, net   205.6    199.4 
Operating lease assets   173.6    191.6 
Investments in unconsolidated entities   114.8    96.0 
Deferred tax asset, net   11.5    10.8 
Other assets   41.9    45.9 
Total assets  $3,457.9   $3,474.8 
           
Liabilities and equity          
Current liabilities:          
Deferred revenue  $506.3   $455.6 
Accrued compensation   169.4    220.1 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities   69.0    76.2 
Operating lease liabilities   36.3    37.3 
Current portion of long-term debt   32.1    32.1 
Contingent consideration liability       50.0 
Other current liabilities   1.8    11.2 
Total current liabilities   814.9    882.5 
           
Operating lease liabilities   160.3    176.7 
Accrued compensation   23.2    20.7 
Deferred tax liability, net   58.2    62.9 
Long-term debt   1,121.4    1,077.5 
Other long-term liabilities   44.3    47.4 
Total liabilities   2,222.3    2,267.7 
Total equity   1,235.6    1,207.1 
Total liabilities and equity  $3,457.9   $3,474.8 

 

Page 11 of 15

 

 

Morningstar, Inc. and Subsidiaries

 

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

 

   Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30, 
(in millions)  2023   2022   2023   2022 
Operating activities                    
Consolidated net income  $36.1   $30.1   $28.5   $76.2 
Adjustments to reconcile consolidated net income to net cash flows from operating activities   52.4    61.4    61.4    103.9 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net   (64.0)   (22.8)   (42.0)   (87.9)
Cash provided by operating activities   24.5    68.7    47.9    92.2 
Investing activities                    
Capital expenditures   (30.3)   (31.7)   (59.8)   (59.7)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired       (639.8)       (646.6)
Purchases of investments in unconsolidated entities   (0.8)   (25.6)   (0.9)   (26.6)
Other, net   4.0    5.8    32.9    7.9 
Cash used for investing activities   (27.1)   (691.3)   (27.8)   (725.0)
Financing activities                    
Common shares repurchased   (1.4)   (91.9)   (1.4)   (202.5)
Dividends paid   (16.0)   (15.4)   (31.9)   (30.9)
Repayments of debt   (113.2)   (190.9)   (186.3)   (220.9)
Proceeds from debt   135.0    865.0    230.0    1,040.0 
Payment for acquisition-related earn-outs       (16.2)   (45.5)   (16.2)
Other, net   (10.5)   (13.5)   (19.8)   (20.6)
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities   (6.1)   537.1    (54.9)   548.9 
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents   (0.2)   (17.8)   1.5    (19.7)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents   (8.9)   (103.3)   (33.3)   (103.6)
Cash and cash equivalents-beginning of period   352.2    483.5    376.6    483.8 
Cash and cash equivalents-end of period  $343.3   $380.2   $343.3   $380.2 

 

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Morningstar, Inc. and Subsidiaries

 

Supplemental Data (Unaudited)

 

   Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30, 
(in millions)  2023   2022   Change   Organic (2)   2023   2022   Change   Organic (1) 
Revenue by type (1)                                        
License-based (3)  $376.0   $327.5    14.8%   12.2%  $740.0   $639.4    15.7%   13.2%
Asset-based (4)   67.3    67.6    (0.4)%   (1.4)%   132.6    136.1    (2.6)%   (3.7)%
Transaction-based (5)   61.4    75.3    (18.5)%   (19.5)%   111.8    151.9    (26.4)%   (27.3)%
                                         
Key product area revenue                                        
PitchBook  $121.2   $100.2    21.0%   21.0%  $236.0   $192.2    22.8%   22.8%
Morningstar Data   69.4    64.3    7.9%   8.3%   136.7    127.6    7.1%   9.1%
DBRS Morningstar (6)   54.2    65.2    (16.9)%   (15.9)%   101.0    134.4    (24.9)%   (23.5)%
Morningstar Direct   49.9    45.8    9.0%   9.3%   98.7    91.4    8.0%   9.5%
Investment Management   29.4    30.0    (2.0)%   (10.7)%   59.0    60.8    (3.0)%   (11.3)%
Morningstar Sustainalytics   29.2    25.9    12.7%   12.7%   56.5    50.6    11.7%   14.2%
Workplace Solutions   27.2    26.2    3.8%   3.8%   52.4    52.8    (0.8)%   (0.8)%
Morningstar Advisor Workstation   25.2    23.6    6.8%   7.3%   49.7    46.8    6.2%   6.8%
                                         
   As of June 30,                             
Assets under management and advisement (approximate) ($bil)  2023 2022 Change                             
Workplace Solutions                                              
Managed Accounts  $118.1   $116.2    1.6%                               
Fiduciary Services   55.4    49.8    11.2%                               
Custom Models/CIT   36.9    36.5    1.1%                               
Workplace Solutions (total)  $210.4   $202.5    3.9%                               
Investment Management                                              
Morningstar Managed Portfolios  $35.1   $33.0    6.4%                               
Institutional Asset Management   10.2    9.9    3.0%                               
Asset Allocation Services   7.8    7.4    5.4%                               
Investment Management (total)  $53.1   $50.3    5.6%                               
                                               
Asset value linked to Morningstar Indexes ($bil)  $169.8   $133.9    26.8%                               
                                               
Our employees (approximate)                                              
Worldwide headcount   12,126    10,767    12.6%                               

 

   Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30, 
   2023   2022   Change   2023   2022   Change 
Average assets under management and advisement ($bil)  $258.0   $258.9    (0.3)%  $253.9   $261.0    (2.7)%

 

 

 

(1) Starting with the quarter ended March 31, 2023, the Company updated its revenue-type classifications to account for product areas with more than one revenue type. Prior periods have not been restated to reflect the updated classifications. Revenue from Morningstar Sustainalytics' second-party opinions product was reclassified from license-based to transaction-based. Revenue from Morningstar Indexes data and services products was reclassified from asset-based to license-based. Revenue from DBRS Morningstar's data products was reclassified from transaction-based to license-based.

 

(2) Organic revenue is a non-GAAP measure that excludes acquisitions, divestitures, the impacts of the adoption of new accounting standards or revisions to accounting practices, and the effect of foreign currency translations. In addition, the calculation of organic revenue growth by product revenue type compares the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 revenue to the prior periods on the basis of the updated classifications.

 

(3) License-based revenue includes PitchBook, Morningstar Data, Morningstar Direct, Morningstar Sustainalytics' license-based products, Morningstar Indexes data and services products, DBRS Morningstar's data products, Morningstar Advisor Workstation, and other similar products.

 

(4) Asset-based revenue includes Investment Management, the majority of Workplace Solutions revenue, and Morningstar Indexes.

 

(5) Transaction-based revenue includes DBRS Morningstar, Morningstar Sustainalytics' second-party opinions product, Internet advertising, and Morningstar-sponsored conferences.

 

(6) For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, DBRS Morningstar recurring revenue derived primarily from surveillance, research, and other transaction-related services was 49.9% and 52.5%, respectively. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, recurring revenue was 38.4% and 37.2%, respectively.

 

Page 13 of 15

 

 

Morningstar, Inc. and Subsidiaries

 

Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Measures with the Nearest Comparable GAAP Measures (Unaudited)

 

To supplement Morningstar’s condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Morningstar uses the following measures considered as non-GAAP by the Securities and Exchange Commission, including:

 

consolidated revenue, excluding acquisitions, divestitures, adoption of new accounting standards or revision to accounting practices (accounting changes), and the effect of foreign currency translations (organic revenue),

 

consolidated operating income, excluding intangible amortization expense, all mergers and acquisitions (M&A)-related expenses (including M&A-related earn-outs), and items related to the significant reduction and shift of the Company's operations in China (adjusted operating income),

 

consolidated operating margin, excluding intangible amortization expense, all M&A-related expenses (including M&A-related earn-outs), and items related to the significant reduction and shift of the Company's operations in China (adjusted operating margin),

 

consolidated diluted net income per share, excluding intangible amortization expense, all M&A-related expenses (including M&A-related earn-outs), items related to the significant reduction and shift of the Company's operations in China, and certain non-operating gains/losses (adjusted diluted net income per share), and

 

cash provided by or used for operating activities less capital expenditures (free cash flow).

 

These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

 

Morningstar presents organic revenue because the Company believes this non-GAAP measure helps investors better compare period-over-period results. Morningstar excludes revenue from acquired businesses from its organic revenue growth calculation for a period of 12 months after it completes the acquisition. For divestitures, Morningstar excludes revenue in the prior-year period for which there is no comparable revenue in the current period.

 

Morningstar presents adjusted operating income, adjusted operating margin, and adjusted net income per share to show the effect of significant acquisition activity, better compare period-over-period results, and improve overall understanding of the underlying performance of the business absent the impact of acquisitions.

 

In addition, Morningstar presents free cash flow solely as supplemental disclosure to help investors better understand how much cash is available after making capital expenditures. Morningstar's management team uses free cash flow to evaluate the health of its business. Free cash flow should not be considered an alternative to any measure required to be reported under GAAP (such as cash provided by (used for) operating, investing, and financing activities).

 

Page 14 of 15

 

 

   Three months ended June 30,   Six months ended June 30, 
(in millions)  2023   2022   Change   2023   2022   Change 
Reconciliation from consolidated revenue to organic revenue:                              
Consolidated revenue  $504.7   $470.4    7.3%  $984.4   $927.4    6.1%
Less: acquisitions   (12.7)       NMF    (30.9)       NMF 
Less: accounting changes           %            
Effect of foreign currency translations   2.4        NMF    10.7        NMF 
Organic revenue  $494.4   $470.4    5.1%  $964.2   $927.4    4.0%
                               
Reconciliation from consolidated operating income to adjusted operating income:                              
Consolidated operating income  $41.7   $53.9    (22.6)%  $66.2   $110.3    (40.0)%
Add: Intangible amortization expense   17.7    15.6    13.5%   35.2    29.7    18.5%
Add: M&A-related expenses   3.0    3.9    (23.1)%   7.2    8.8    (18.2)%
Add: M&A-related earn-outs (1)           %       7.1    NMF 
Add: Severance and personnel expenses (2)   2.9        NMF    4.1        NMF 
Add: Transformation costs (2)   2.2        NMF    6.4        NMF 
Add: Asset impairment costs (2)   2.2        NMF    2.4        NMF 
Adjusted operating income  $69.7   $73.4    (5.0)%  $121.5   $155.9    (22.1)%
                               
Reconciliation from consolidated operating margin to adjusted operating margin:                              
Consolidated operating margin   8.3%   11.5%   (3.2) pp    6.7%   11.9%   (5.2) pp
Add: Intangible amortization expense   3.5%   3.3%   0.2 pp    3.6%   3.2%   0.4pp
Add: M&A-related expenses   0.6%   0.8%   (0.2) pp    0.7%   0.9%   (0.2) pp
Add: M&A-related earn-outs (1)   %   %   0.0  pp    %   0.8%   (0.8) pp
Add: Severance and personnel expenses (2)   0.6%   %   0.6 pp    0.4%   %   0.4pp
Add: Transformation costs (2)   0.4%   %   0.4 pp    0.7%   %   0.7pp
Add: Asset impairment costs (2)   0.4%   %   0.4 pp    0.2%   %   0.2pp
Adjusted operating margin   13.8%   15.6%   (1.8) pp    12.3%   16.8%   (4.5) pp
                               
Reconciliation from consolidated diluted net income per share to adjusted diluted net income per share:                              
Consolidated diluted net income per share  $0.84   $0.70    20.0%  $0.67   $1.77    (62.1)%
Add: Intangible amortization expense   0.31    0.27    14.8%   0.61    0.51    19.6%
Add: M&A-related expenses   0.05    0.07    (28.6)%   0.12    0.15    (20.0)%
Add: M&A-related earn-outs (1)           %       0.16    NMF 
Add: Severance and personnel expenses (2)   0.05        NMF    0.07        NMF 
Add: Transformation costs (2)   0.04        NMF    0.11        NMF 
Add: Asset impairment costs (2)   0.04        NMF    0.04        NMF 
Less: Non-operating (gains) losses (3)   (0.03)   0.13    NMF    0.24    (0.04)   NMF 
Adjusted diluted net income per share  $1.30   $1.17    11.1%  $1.86   $2.55    (27.1)%
                               
Reconciliation from cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow:                              
Cash provided by operating activities  $24.5   $68.7    (64.3)%  $47.9   $92.2    (48.0)%
Capital expenditures   (30.3)   (31.7)   (4.4)%   (59.8)   (59.7)   0.2%
Free cash flow  $(5.8)  $37.0    NMF   $(11.9)  $32.5    NMF 

 

 

NMF - Not meaningful, pp - percentage points

 

(1) Reflects the impact of M&A-related earn-outs included in current period operating expense (compensation expense), primarily due to the earn-out for Morningstar Sustainalytics.

 

(2) Reflects costs associated with the significant reduction of the Company's operations in Shenzhen, China, and the shift of work related to its global business functions to other Morningstar locations.

 

Severance and personnel expenses include severance charges, incentive payments related to early signing of severance agreements, transition bonuses, and stock-based compensation related to the acceleration of vesting of restricted stock unit and market share unit awards. In addition, the reversal of accrued sabbatical liabilities is included in this category.

 

Transformation costs include professional fees and the temporary duplication of headcount. As the Company hires replacement roles in other markets and shifts capabilities, it expects to continue to employ certain Shenzhen-based staff through the transition period, which will result in elevated compensation costs on a temporary basis.

 

Asset impairment costs include the write-off or accelerated depreciation of fixed assets in the Shenzhen, China office that are not redeployed, in addition to lease abandonment costs as the Company plans to downsize its office space prior to the lease termination date.

 

(3) Non-operating (gains) losses in the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and June 30, 2022, related to unrealized gains and losses on investments and interest expense. In addition, non-operating (gains) losses for the six months ended June 30, 2023 also includes expense from an equity method transaction, net.

 

Page 15 of 15

 

Exhibit 99.2

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Second Quarter 2023 Supplemental Presentation July 26, 2023

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This presentation contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on our current expectations about future events or future financial performance. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, and often contain words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “prospects,” or “continue.” These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the events we discuss not to occur or to differ significantly from what we expect. More information about factors that could affect Morningstar’s business and financial results are in our filings with the SEC, including our most recent 8- K, 10-K, and 10-Q. Morningstar undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. In addition, this presentation references non-GAAP financial measures including, but not limited to, organic revenue, adjusted operating income, adjusted operating margin, adjusted operating expense, and free cash flow. These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is provided in the appendix to this presentation and in our filings with the SEC, including our most recent 8-K, 10-K, and 10-Q. 2 2

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Q2 2023 Financial Performance ($mil) $53.9 $41.7 22 23 $69.7 +7.3% –22.6% –5.0% 22 23 $470.4 $504.7 22 23 $73.4 –$5.8 22 23 $37.0 Revenue Operating Income Adjusted Free Cash Flow** Operating Income* * 3 3 Adjusted operating income is a non-GAAP measure and excludes intangible amortization expense, other merger and acquisition (M&A) related expenses and earn-outs, and items related to the significant reduction and shift of the Company’s operations in China. In addition, the Company incurred $4.0 million of severance costs for reorganizations not related to the shift of its China operations, which contributed 7.4 percentage points to the decline in operating income and accounted for the full decline in adjusted operating income.** Free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as cash provided by or used for operating activities less capital expenditures. Excluding the termination agreement payment of $59.9 million and $3.2 million in severance related to the Company's China activities, and similar items in the prior-year period, free cash flow would have declined 25.6% over the prior-year period. NMF

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Q2 2023 Revenue Walk Organic revenue, a non-GAAP measure, excludes revenue from acquisitions for a period of 12 months upon completion of the acquisition, accounting changes, and the effect of foreign currency translations. **Starting with the quarter ended March 31, 2023, the Company updated its revenue-type classifications to account for product areas with more than one revenue type, impacting Morningstar Sustainalytics, Morningstar Indexes, and DBRS Morningstar. The calculation of organic revenue growth by revenue type compares second quarter 2023 revenue to second quarter 2022 revenue on the basis of the updated classifications. + 7.3% Reported Revenue Growth Impact of M&A +5.1% – 2.7% Contributors of Organic Revenue Growth** License-Based 12.2% Asset-Based –1.4% Transaction-Based –19.5% Organic Revenue Growth* 4 4 +0.5% Currency Impact *

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Quarterly Revenue Trend ($mil) Bars represent reported revenue. Percentages represent YOY organic revenue growth (decline). *Starting with the quarter ended March 31, 2023, the Company updated its revenue-type classifications to account for product areas with more than one revenue type, impacting Morningstar Sustainalytics, Morningstar Indexes, and DBRS Morningstar. The calculation of organic revenue growth by revenue type compares first and second quarter 2023 revenue to first and second quarter 2022 revenue, respectively, on the basis of the updated classifications. 5 10.6% 12.1%

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YTD 2023 Organic Revenue Walk* ($ mil) 6 6 YTD 2022 Revenue M&A and foreign currency adjustments PitchBook Morningstar Data Morningstar Direct Morningstar Sustainalytics Morningstar Indexes Morningstar Advisor Workstation Investment Management DBRS Morningstar Workplace Solutions Other products YTD 2023 Revenue $927.4 20.2 43.9 11.5 8.6 7.0 3.1 3.0 –31.0 –6.7 –0.5 $984.4 * Organic revenue, a non-GAAP measure, excludes revenue from acquisitions for a period of 12 months upon completion of the acquisition, accounting changes, and the effect of foreign currency translations. –2.1

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Q2 2023 Revenue Drivers: License-Based Revenue Trend* ($mil) +14.8% Reported + 12.2% Organic 22 23 License-Based Q2 23 Organic Revenue Drivers: PitchBook (+21.0%), Morningstar Sustainalytics’ license-based products (+26.7%), Morningstar Data (+8.3%), and Morningstar Direct (+9.3%) were the primary contributors to organic revenue growth in Q2 23. Strength in PitchBook’s core investor and advisor segments offset some softening in the company (corporate) segment. Morningstar Sustainalytics’ license-based revenue growth was driven by strong demand for regulatory and compliance solutions in EMEA, with somewhat slower growth in the U.S. Organic revenue is a non-GAAP measure. The bars represent reported revenue. Starting with the quarter ended March 31, 2023, the Company updated its revenue-type classifications to account for product areas with more than one revenue type, impacting Morningstar Sustainalytics, Morningstar Indexes, and DBRS Morningstar. The calculation of organic revenue growth by revenue type compares second quarter 2023 revenue to second quarter 2022 revenue on the basis of the updated classifications. $327.5 $376.0 7 7 *

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Q2 2023 Revenue Drivers: Asset-Based Revenue Trend* ($mil) Asset-Based Q2 23 Organic Revenue Drivers: Declines in Investment Management organic revenue (-10.7%) reflected the timing of client billings, which were largely based on assets as of March 31, 2023, when most markets were still down over the trailing 12-months. These declines were offset by the organic increase in Morningstar Indexes’ revenue (+15.1%), driven by growth in investable product revenue, and an organic increase in Workplace Solutions revenue (+3.8%), which reflected higher AUM due to market gains. –0.4% Reported –1.4% Organic 22 23 $67.6 $67.3 8 8 * Organic revenue is a non-GAAP measure. The bars represent reported revenue. Starting with the quarter ended March 31, 2023, the Company updated its revenue-type classifications to account for product areas with more than one revenue type, impacting Morningstar Sustainalytics, Morningstar Indexes, and DBRS Morningstar. The calculation of organic revenue growth by revenue type compares second quarter 2023 revenue to second quarter 2022 revenue on the basis of the updated classifications.

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Q2 2023 Revenue Drivers: Transaction-Based Revenue Trend* ($mil) Transaction-Based Q2 23 Organic Revenue Drivers: DBRS Morningstar revenue decreased 15.9% on an organic basis, with a 17.4% organic decline in its transaction-based revenue, due primarily to an 80% decrease in US commercial-mortgage-backed securities new issuance revenue. Revenue declines from Morningstar Sustainalytics’ second-party opinion product and lower ad sales also contributed to the decrease. –18.5% Reported –19.5% Organic 22 23 $75.3 $61.4 9 9 * Organic revenue is a non-GAAP measure. The bars represent reported revenue. Starting with the quarter ended March 31, 2023, the Company updated its revenue-type classifications to account for product areas with more than one revenue type, impacting Morningstar Sustainalytics, Morningstar Indexes, and DBRS Morningstar. The calculation of organic revenue growth by revenue type compares second quarter 2023 revenue to second quarter 2022 revenue on the basis of the updated classifications..

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Quarterly Product Trends PitchBook* ($mil) 47.5% 53.0% 42.9% 40.2% 36.8% 32.6% 33.6% 36.0% 61.8% 61.4% 59.7% 67.5% 53.2% 48.3% 42.5% 38.5% 0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% $0.0 $15.0 $30.0 $45.0 $60.0 $75.0 Q2 19 Q3 19 Q4 19 Q1 20 Q2 20 Q3 20 Q4 20 Q1 21 PitchBook Revenue YOY Organic Revenue Growth YOY License Growth 47.5% 53.0% 42.9% 40.2% 36.8% 32.6% 33.6% 36.0% 61.8% 61.4% 59.7% 67.5% 53.2% 48.3% 42.5% 38.5% 0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% $0.0 $15.0 $30.0 $45.0 $60.0 $75.0 Q2 19 Q3 19 Q4 19 Q1 20 Q2 20 Q3 20 Q4 20 Q1 21 PitchBook Revenue YOY Organic Revenue Growth YOY License Growth 10 10 Morningstar Data ($mil) 8.7% 8.6% 9.5% 8.9% 8.7% 8.6% 9.5% 10.2% 0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0% 10.0% 12.0% $0.0 $10.0 $20.0 $30.0 $40.0 $50.0 $60.0 Q2 19 Q3 19 Q4 19 Q1 20 Q2 20 Q3 20 Q4 20 Q1 21 Morningstar Data Revenue YOY Organic Revenue Growth Organic revenue is a non-GAAP measure. *PitchBook licenses totaled 102,522 as of the second quarter of 2023, compared to 88,261 in the prior-year quarter. License counts reflect active users, including Morningstar active users. The timing of activities such as user maintenance, user audits, provisioning access, shutting off of users, and updates to user lists when enterprise clients renew results in fluctuations in license counts over time. As a result, license growth trends are best assessed on a rolling 12-month basis. PitchBook Revenue YOY Organic Revenue Trend YOY License Trend Morningstar Data Revenue YOY Organic Revenue Trend

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Quarterly Product Trends 6.5% 5.5% 6.5% 6.5% 6.5% 5.5% 6.5% 6.9% 7.3% 6.2% 5.8% 3.9% 4.0% 4.0% 3.0% 3.1% 0.0% 1.0% 2.0% 3.0% 4.0% 5.0% 6.0% 7.0% 8.0% $0.0 $10.0 $20.0 $30.0 $40.0 $50.0 Q2 19 Q3 19 Q4 19 Q1 20 Q2 20 Q3 20 Q4 20 Q1 21 Morningstar Direct Revenue YOY Organic Revenue Growth YOY License Growth 6.5% 5.5% 6.5% 6.5% 6.5% 5.5% 6.5% 6.9% 7.3% 6.2% 5.8% 3.9% 4.0% 4.0% 3.0% 3.1% 0.0% 1.0% 2.0% 3.0% 4.0% 5.0% 6.0% 7.0% 8.0% $0.0 $10.0 $20.0 $30.0 $40.0 $50.0 Q2 19 Q3 19 Q4 19 Q1 20 Q2 20 Q3 20 Q4 20 Q1 21 Morningstar Direct Revenue YOY Organic Revenue Growth YOY License Growth Morningstar Direct* ($mil) 11 11 Organic revenue is a non-GAAP measure. *Morningstar Direct licenses totaled 18,570 as of the second quarter of 2023, compared to 18,008 in the prior-year quarter. **Revenue for Morningstar Sustainalytics’ license-based products increased 26.7% on an organic basis in the second quarter of 2023, while revenue for Morningstar Sustainalytics’ transaction-based products (second-party opinions) declined 56.6% on an organic basis. Morningstar Direct Revenue YOY Organic Revenue Trend YOY License Trend 6.5% 5.5% 6.5% 6.5% 6.5% 5.5% 6.5% 6.9% 7.3% 6.2% 5.8% 3.9% 4.0% 4.0% 3.0% 3.1% 0.0% 1.0% 2.0% 3.0% 4.0% 5.0% 6.0% 7.0% 8.0% $0.0 $10.0 $20.0 $30.0 $40.0 $50.0 Q2 19 Q3 19 Q4 19 Q1 20 Q2 20 Q3 20 Q4 20 Q1 21 Morningstar Direct Revenue YOY Organic Revenue Growth YOY License Growth Morningstar Sustainalytics** ($mil) Morningstar Sustainalytics Revenue YOY Organic Revenue Trend

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Quarterly Product Trends Morningstar Advisor Workstation ($mil) -4.3% -1.7% 3.2% -2.4% -1.3% -1.7% 3.2% 3.9% -5.0% -4.0% -3.0% -2.0% -1.0% 0.0% 1.0% 2.0% 3.0% 4.0% 5.0% $0.0 $5.0 $10.0 $15.0 $20.0 $25.0 Q2 19 Q3 19 Q4 19 Q1 20 Q2 20 Q3 20 Q4 20 Q1 21 Advisor Workstation Revenue YOY Organic Revenue Growth 12 12 Organic revenue is a non-GAAP measure. Morningstar Advisor Workstation Revenue YOY Organic Revenue Trend

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Quarterly Product Trends: DBRS Morningstar Revenue by Asset Class ($mil) DBRS Morningstar Q2 2023 Organic Revenue Drivers: Category mix in Q2 2023 was 58% Structured Finance* v. 42% Fundamental Ratings.** Recurring revenue, which is derived primarily from surveillance, research, and other transaction related services, represented 49.9% of total DBRS Morningstar revenue. *Structured Finance (Asset-Backed Securities, Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities, Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities). **Fundamental Ratings (Corporate, Financial Institutions, Sovereign) & Other. 13 13

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Quarterly Product Trends: DBRS Morningstar Revenue Trend by Geography ($mil) 5.1% 6.7% 17.6% 15.4% 34.6% 29.4% 3.3% --16.6% 52.0% $0.0 $10.0 $20.0 $30.0 $40.0 $50.0 $60.0 $70.0 Q3 19 Q4 19 Q1 20 Q2 20 Q3 20 Q4 20 Q1 21 EMEA Canada USA DBRS Morningstar Q2 2023 Organic Revenue Drivers: Organic revenue declined 29.7% in the U.S. due primarily to a sharp decrease in ratings of commercial-mortgage-backed securities. Organic revenue increased 6.5% in Canada due primarily to strength in corporate and asset-backed securities ratings partially offset by weakness in financial institution and sovereign ratings. Organic revenue declined 2.2% in EMEA, primarily due to weakness in residential- and commercial-mortgage-backed securities ratings. 5.1% 6.7% 17.6% 15.4% 34.6% 29.4% 3.3% --16.6% 52.0% $0.0 $10.0 $20.0 $30.0 $40.0 $50.0 $60.0 $70.0 Q3 19 Q4 19 Q1 20 Q2 20 Q3 20 Q4 20 Q1 21 EMEA Canada USA Bars represent reported revenue. Percentages represent organic revenue growth (decline). Organic revenue is a non-GAAP measure. 14 14

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Quarterly Product Trends: Investment Management ($bil) Investment Management Q2 2023 AUM/A: Investment Management assets increased 5.6% over the prior year period, due to market gains. Declines in Investment Management organic revenue (-10.7%) reflected the timing of client billings, which were largely based on assets as of March 31, 2023, when most markets were still down over the trailing 12-months. Managed Portfolios – Wholesale: Through our distribution sales team, the Company offers investment strategies and services directly to financial advisors in bank, broker dealers with a corporate RIA, who have a corporate RIA, insurance, and RIA channels that offer the Company’s investment strategies and services to their clients (the end investor). This remains the Company’s strategic focus. **Managed Portfolios – Non-Wholesale: The Company sells services directly to financial institutions such as broker dealers, discount brokers, and wirehouses. Our distribution sales team is not involved with the advisers of these firms. 15 15 *

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Workplace Solutions Q2 2023 AUM/A: Workplace Solutions assets under management and advisement increased 3.9% versus the prior-year period, reflecting market gains. Quarterly Product Trends: Workplace Solutions ($bil) Managed Accounts includes Retirement Manager and Advisor Managed Accounts. Fiduciary Services helps retirement plan sponsors build appropriate investment lineups for their participants. Custom Models/CIT offer customized investment lineups for clients based on plan participant demographics or other specific factors. 16 16

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Q2 2023 Operating Margins Operating Margin Drivers: Operating expense included $7.3 million of costs related to the Company’s significant reduction and shift of its China operations, which are excluded from adjusted operating income and are nearing their successful completion. Key drivers of expense growth included: Compensation costs increased $36.0 million, reflecting growth in headcount across key product areas over the past year. Headcount increased 12.6% from the prior-year period and decreased 2.3% sequentially from March 31, 2023. Severance costs increased $6.1 million. That included $4.0 million related to reorganizations in certain areas of the business, which negatively impacted operating margin and adjusted operating margin by 0.8 percentage points, and $1.7 million in severance costs related to the reduction and shift of its China activities. Depreciation increased $5.0 million as a result of higher capitalized software costs for product enhancements in prior periods and higher leasehold improvements. 17 17 Adjusted operating margin is a non-GAAP measure. Adjusted Operating Margin Operating Margin 22 23 +8.3% +13.8% 22 23 +11.5% +15.6%

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Adjusted Operating Income* Walk Q2 2022 to Q2 2023 ($ mil) Adjusted operating income, a non-GAAP measure, excludes intangible amortization expenses, all mergers and acquisitions (M&A)-related expenses (including M&A earn-outs), and items related to the significant reduction and shift of the Company's operations in China. **Includes salaries, cash bonus, and company-sponsored benefits. This line also includes severance-related expenses including $4.0 million for reorganizations not related to the shift of the Company's China activities, and sign-on and retention bonuses. ***Includes infrastructure costs, (including third party contracts with data providers, AWS cloud costs to house data collection and products, and subscriptions to SaaS-based software), facilities, depreciation/amortization, and capitalized labor. 18 18 * Q2 2022 YOY Revenue Growth Stock-based Compensation Professional Fees Travel & Related Activities Sales Commissions Advertising & Marketing Infrastructure Costs & Other*** Q2 2023 $73.4 7.8 34.3 3.5 –1.3 1.5 –1.7 $69.7 Compensation and Benefits** –36.6 –11.2

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YTD Adjusted Operating Income* Walk Q2 2022 to Q2 2023 ($ mil) Adjusted operating income, a non-GAAP measure, excludes intangible amortization expenses, all mergers and acquisitions (M&A)-related expenses (including M&A earn-outs), and items related to the significant reduction and shift of the Company's operations in China. **Includes salaries, cash bonus, and company-sponsored benefits. This line also includes severance-related expenses including $4.0 million for reorganizations not related to the shift of the Company's China activities, and sign-on and retention bonuses. ***Includes infrastructure costs, (including third party contracts with data providers, AWS cloud costs to house data collection and products, and subscriptions to SaaS-based software), facilities, depreciation/amortization, and capitalized labor. 19 19 * YTD 2022 YOY Revenue Growth Stock-based Compensation Professional Fees Travel & Related Activities Advertising & Marketing Sales Commissions Infrastructure Costs & Other*** YTD 2023 $155.9 –76.8 9.9 57.0 7.1 –5.5 –1.7 –3.8 $121.5 Compensation and Benefits** –20.6

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Quarterly Operating Margin Trends Adjusted operating margin is a non-GAAP measure. Severance costs related to certain reorganizations, and excluding expenses related to the shift of the Company's China activities, negatively impacted operating margin and adjusted operating margin by 0.8 percentage points in 2Q 23. 20 20

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Revenue vs. Adjusted Operating Expense Growth 21 21 Adjusted operating expense is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as operating expense excluding intangible amortization expense, all mergers and acquisition related expenses (including M&A-related arnouts), and items related to the significant reduction and shift of the Company’s operations in China. Excluding severance costs related to certain reorganizations and excluding the Company's China activities, adjusted total operating expense growth would have been 8.6%.

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Headcount Trends 22 22 Headcount represents permanent, full-time employees.

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Q2 2023 Cash Flow and Capital Allocation ($mil) 2 $24.5 –$5.8 Operating Cash Flow Free Cash Flow* Capital Allocation** 23 23 * ($mil) Termination Agreement 59.9 Capital Expenditures 30.3 Dividends Paid 16.0 Share Repurchases 1.4 Investments in Unconsolidated Entities 29.4 0 Free cash flow, a non-GAAP measure, is defined as cash provided by or used for operating activities less capital expenditures.** Total capital deployed in the second quarter of 2023 was higher than operating cash flow due to the use of excess cash on hand and an increase in debt. The Company's outstanding debt increased by a net of $22.0 million as of the end of the second quarter of 2023 compared to the end of the first quarter of 2023. Excluding the termination agreement payment of $59.9 million and $3.2 million in severance related to the Company's China activities, free cash flow would have been $57.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2023.

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Appendix

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Q2 2023 Operating and Free Cash Flow Excluding Certain Items Free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as cash provided by or used for operating activities less capital expenditures. * Includes the impact of the Sustainalytics earn-out payment in 2022. Q2 2023 Q2 2022 % Change Cash provided by operating activities $24.5 $68.7 (64.3%) Capital expenditures (30.3) (31.7) Free cash flow ($5.8) $37.0 NMF Items included in cash provided by operating activities Payments related to the Termination Agreement $59.9 — Severance paid for reduction and shift of China operations $3.2 — Contingent consideration related to acquisitions* — $40.0 Cash provided by operating activities, excluding certain items $87.6 $108.7 (19.4%) Free cash flow, excluding certain items $57.3 $77.0 (25.6%) 25 25

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YTD 2023 Operating and Free Cash Flow Excluding Certain Items Free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as cash provided by or used for operating activities less capital expenditures. *Includes the impact of contingent consideration related to the LCD acquisition in 2023 and the Sustainalytics earn-out payment in 2022. YTD 2023 YTD 2022 % Change Cash provided by operating activities $47.9 $92.2 (48.0%) Capital expenditures (59.8) (59.7) Free cash flow ($11.9) $32.5 NMF Items included in cash provided by operating activities Payments related to the Termination Agreement $59.9 — Severance paid for reduction and shift of China operations $10.1 — Contingent consideration related to acquisitions* $4.5 $40.0 Cash provided by operating activities, excluding certain items $122.4 $132.2 (7.4%) Free cash flow, excluding certain items $62.6 $72.5 (13.7%) 26 26

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Reconciliation from Reported to Organic Revenue Change by Revenue Type 27 27 Organic revenue is a non-GAAP measure.

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Reconciliation from Reported to Organic Revenue Change by Revenue Type 28 28 Organic revenue is a non-GAAP measure.

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Reconciliation from Reported to Organic Revenue Change by Product Area 29 29 Organic revenue is a non-GAAP measure.

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Reconciliation from Reported to Organic Revenue Change by Product Area 30 30 Organic revenue is a non-GAAP measure.

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Reconciliation from Reported to Organic Revenue Change by Product Area 31 31 Organic revenue is a non-GAAP measure.

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Reconciliation from Operating Margin to Adjusted Operating Margin 32 32 Adjusted operating margin is a non-GAAP measure.

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Reconciliation from Total Operating Expenses to Adjusted Operating Expenses 33 33 Adjusted operating expense is a non-GAAP measure.

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Exhibit 99.3

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© July 26, 2023. Morningstar. All Rights Reserved. Letter from Kunal Kapoor Second-Quarter Earnings 2023 Dear Morningstar shareholders, It was good to see many of you at this year’s shareholder meeting. A number of you shared that you’d like to hear from me more frequently, so, starting this quarter, I’ll pen a letter alongside our earnings release that addresses a few timely themes. The headline is that, after a period of heavy investment, we are moving quickly to return margins to historical levels. Without rehashing too much of the earnings release, revenue grew 7.3% to $504.7 million, an increase of 5.1% on an organic basis compared to the prior-year period. Our license-based businesses were growth drivers, while asset-based product areas were nearly flat, and DBRS Morningstar continued to face a challenging issuance environment. I’ll use this quarter’s letter to focus on margins and Morningstar Sustainalytics, in particular, and will then highlight some other areas in upcoming missives. A deliberate focus on growing margins You heard in our shareholder meeting in May that the executive team and I are focusing on durable growth and profitability. As a people-intensive business, our largest expense category is compensation, and we are taking a hard look at whether we have the right-sized teams for the current market opportunity. This has led to targeted reorganizations as well as close management of our hiring process for both backfills and new roles. For example, we recently reallocated analytical resources at DBRS Morningstar away from the North American commercial real estate market where we have less confidence in a short-term rebound. In Morningstar Sustainalytics, we narrowed our focus to concentrate on more mature ESG markets and are refocusing our efforts around global solutions. As of June 30, 2023, our headcount was 12,126, a decline of 2.3% sequentially from March 31, 2023 that reflects these reorganizations and deliberate hiring process. Beyond headcount, we are controlling costs elsewhere, including discretionary costs like professional fees and travel. We are also focused on optimizing our real estate footprint, and we recently terminated our DBRS Morningstar lease in London and brought the team into our larger Morningstar location. You’re starting to see those efforts bear fruit in our second-quarter results. While operating income fell 22.6% to $41.7 million and our operating margin was down to 8.3% from 11.5% in the prior-year period, our adjusted operating income was down a more modest 5.0% to $69.7 million and our adjusted operating margin was 13.8%, compared to 15.6% in the second quarter of 2022. We incurred $4.0 million in severance costs related to reorganizations in certain areas of the business (excluding those related to the transition and shift of our China activities), and these costs had a negative 0.8 percentage point impact on our operating and adjusted operating margin in the quarter. We’re working to get back to our historical peak margins and believe we’ve laid the foundation to accelerate toward that goal. Importantly, we expect that our business will keep growing even as profitability expands. Aligning Morningstar Sustainalytics and Morningstar Indexes One of the product areas that provides a significant opportunity to expand our overall margins is Morningstar Sustainalytics. We’ve invested heavily here, first by acquiring Sustainalytics in 2020 and then with organic investments to support its growth. That period of heavy investment is largely complete, and we’re now moving to fully realize the benefits of those investments as we integrate the business more fully with other product areas. In June, we aligned Morningstar Sustainalytics and Morningstar Indexes under the leadership of Ron Bundy. These two product areas operate in similar markets, serve a similar set of institutional and asset management clients, and have collaborated closely in recent years. As separate teams, they have worked hand-in-hand to introduce a range of ESG product and service offerings. As an aligned team, we will bring investors a more holistic set of ESG products and services in an even faster and more focused way, while tightening execution on some key priorities. We’ll retain a focus on what’s working well, including in Europe where we have a strong competitive position, and on products including the flagship ESG Risk Rating, which continues to help investors understand and manage material ESG issues. We also believe there’s a long runway for our recently launched Low Carbon Transition Rating, which provides a forward-looking, science-based assessment of a company’s current alignment to a net-zero pathway, as well as our newly enhanced Physical Climate Risk Metrics. In other areas, we have some work to do to realize our vision. Notably, it's clear that the political environment around ESG in the U.S. has meaningfully impacted the pace of adoption here. This is particularly true in the wealth- and asset-management segments, which tend to follow asset owners on these matters. For instance, while we have a healthy pipeline for our recently introduced climate solutions, the conversion process is extending longer than we have typically experienced.

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Letter from Kunal Kapoor Second-Quarter Earnings 2023 © July 26, 2023. Morningstar. All Rights Reserved. Against that backdrop, our approach is aligned with a long-term investor trend toward more choice and personalization at a time when we are on the verge of a generational wealth transfer. We believe that ESG data, analytics, and research support personalization and choice and that they will drive engagement—and, likely, a higher propensity towards savings and investing in the years ahead. The choices investors make are ultimately up to them, but we have the tools they need to make those judgements. We are concentrating on strengthening core offerings across the Morningstar Sustainalytics portfolio globally, improving our sales cadence, and expanding our regulatory and index solutions. License-based product strength I’ll conclude by highlighting further solid progress in the remainder of our license-based product areas. First, PitchBook continues to make significant contributions to our overall growth. We’re experiencing robust demand in our core investor and advisor client segments (including private equity and venture capital), even as the corporate segment remains more challenging. Lead generation remains strong and, while conversion rates are a little slower than they were in the particularly strong markets of 2021 and early 2022, they are in line with the long-term trend. We’re making good progress integrating Leveraged Commentary & Data (LCD), and in the quarter, we added LCD research and news on the leveraged loan, bond, and private credit markets to the PitchBook platform. Our long-term vision is to create a unified PitchBook platform with centralized access to private equity and private credit research, data, and analysis, and we’re hearing good feedback from LCD clients with PitchBook access and from PitchBook customers who have been anxious to get access to the LCD content. One note on PitchBook’s reported results: The license trend doesn’t fully reflect the growth trajectory this quarter due in part to user rationalization related to a single renewal that resulted in a sharp drop in users even as total annual contract value (ACV) increased in that instance. Additionally, there was some ongoing variability driven by user maintenance and other updates to user lists. We’re also experiencing strong increases in revenue coming from the direct data product, a nicely growing part of the PitchBook product suite, which isn’t reflected in user counts. Elsewhere, Morningstar Direct, Morningstar Data, and Morningstar Advisor Workstation all continue to grow at healthy rates, reflecting added value we’ve been bringing to these offerings. Recent enhancements include the launch of Direct Lens, which introduces new capabilities for portfolio management and portfolio analysis workflows and expands access to new datasets (including ESG) at the instrument level. With these products, it’s all about expanding the value we bring to clients so we’re even more essential to their workflows. We’re also digging into the technology transformation that’s underway with AI, and you should expect to see us meaningfully leverage the technology to further improve customer engagement, drive innovation, and expand use cases for our library of data and content. Summer reading If you’re looking for summer reading, here’s a smattering of commentary by our researchers that I especially enjoyed: • What Beat the S&P 500 Over the Past Three Decades? Doing Nothing, Jeffrey Ptak, April 17, 2023 • The Inflation Hedge That Cost Investors 17% of Their Purchasing Power, Jeffrey Ptak, June 12, 2023 • The Best Robo-Advisors of 2023, Amy Arnott, June 22, 2023 • Pumping the Brakes: PitchBook Quantitative Perspectives Q2 2023, Andrew Akers and Parker Dean, June 22, 2023 • What the New ISSB Climate Standard Means for Investors, Aurthur Carabia and Jonathan Feldman, June 26, 2023 • DBRS Morningstar CMBS Monthly Highlights—June Remittance: Delinquency and Special Servicing Rates Move Higher on Continued Office Underperformance, Steve Jellinek and Erin Stafford, July 14, 2023 You may also appreciate these recent pieces that share more about our strategy and recent product innovations: • Australian Financial Review: Industry needs to lure back Robinhood generation: Morningstar CEO, April 10, 2023 • Barron’s: Morningstar Beefs Up Model Portfolio Lineup for Advisors, April 25, 2023 • CEO keynote at the U.S. Morningstar Investment Conference, April 26, 2023 • Chicago Sun-Times: Morningstar’s AI chatbot gets investors closer to mostly right answers, May 22, 2023 • South China Morning Post: Climate change: Asian firms must accelerate decarbonisation efforts to catch up with global warming targets, Morningstar Sustainalytics says, June 12, 2023

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Letter from Kunal Kapoor Second-Quarter Earnings 2023 © July 26, 2023. Morningstar. All Rights Reserved. I hope you found this letter helpful—please do share your feedback. Best regards, Kunal This letter contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on our current expectations about future events or future financial performance. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, and often contain words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “prospects,” or “continue.” These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the events we discuss not to occur or to differ significantly from what we expect. More information about factors that could affect Morningstar’s business and financial results are in our filings with the SEC, including our most recent 8-K, 10-K and 10-Q. Morningstar undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. In addition, this presentation references non-GAAP financial measures including, but not limited to, organic revenue, adjusted operating income and adjusted operating margin. These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is provided in our filings with the SEC, including our earnings release for the three months ended June 30, 2023.