CHICAGO, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ MORN ]), a leading provider of independent investment research, today announced that six of its equity analysts have been honored in The Wall Street Journal's20th annual "Best on the Street" analyst survey, published today. Two Morningstar analysts ranked #1, one ranked #2, and three ranked #3 in their respective industries.

Morningstar analysts who were named Best on the Street for 2012 are:

Basili Alukos, CFA, CPA, equity analyst, ranked first in the "Airlines" industry, out of 18 analysts;
David Whiston, CFA, CPA, CFE, senior equity analyst, ranked first—for the second consecutive year—in the "Specialty Retailers and Services" industry, out of 74 analysts;
Joung Park, equity analyst, ranked second in the "Mining and Metals" industry, out of 98 analysts;
Matthew Coffina, CFA, senior equity analyst, ranked third in the "Food and Drug Retailers" industry, out of 23 analysts;
Avi Feinberg, equity analyst, ranked third in the "Oil Equipment, Services, and Distribution" industry, out of 91 analysts; and
Drew Woodbury, equity analyst, ranked third in the "Life Insurance" industry, out of 19 analysts.

"I'm so proud of our analysts, whose job is to take a long-term view in a market focused on the short term," Catherine Odelbo, president of global equity and credit research for Morningstar, said. "Our team values the companies they cover as businesses, not as little pieces of paper to trade. This isn't always the most popular approach, but it really delivers results."

In 2011, the first year that Morningstar participated in the Best on the Street survey, three Morningstar analysts ranked #1, two ranked #2, and one ranked #5 in their respective industries. Morningstar's press release about last year's winning analysts is available at [ http://corporate.morningstar.com/us/asp/subject.aspx?xmlfile=174.xml&filter=PR4674 ].

The Wall Street Journal's Best on the Street survey identifies the top three analysts in each of 44 industries, based on stock-picking skill. The data were assembled by FactSet, a Norwalk, Conn. company that tracks analysts' recommendations and earnings estimates. To determine the winners, FactSet first identified more than 2,000 analysts at nearly 200 firms who fit the criteria to be counted in the rankings. To be eligible, analysts had to have followed at least five stocks in an industry group during 2011.

Morningstar will feature video interviews with the winning analysts on Morningstar.com at [ http://www.morningstar.com/goto/stockpickers ]. Morningstar.com Premium members and financial advisors using Morningstar® Analyst Research Center(SM) will have access to a special report, "Insights from the Best on the Street," which covers some of the analysts' stock picks. Institutional investors can access their research and valuation models at Morningstar's institutional research portal, [ http://select.morningstar.com/welcome/ ].

Morningstar provides data on approximately 35,000 stocks and has 120 equity and credit analysts worldwide who provide qualitative analyst coverage on about 1,800 companies globally.

About Morningstar, Inc.
Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company offers an extensive line of products and services for individuals, financial advisors, and institutions. Morningstar provides data on more than 380,000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual funds, and similar vehicles, along with real-time global market data on more than 8 million equities, indexes, futures, options, commodities, and precious metals, in addition to foreign exchange and Treasury markets. Morningstar also offers investment management services through its investment management subsidiaries and has more than $190 billion in assets under advisement and management as of March 31, 2012. The company has operations in 27 countries.

Media Contact:
Carling Spelhaug, 312-696-6150 or [ carling.spelhaug@morningstar.com ]

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SOURCE Morningstar, Inc.

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

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