CHICAGO, Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ MORN ]), a leading provider of independent investment research, today reported estimated U.S. [ mutual fund ] asset flows through September 2012. Investors added $16.5 billion to long-term open-end funds, as inflows of $29.9 billion into taxable-bond funds overcame redemptions of $16.8 billion from U.S.-stock funds. September was the 17th consecutive month of outflows for U.S.-stock funds and further evidence of investors' preference for the perceived safety of fixed income over equities.

Additional highlights from Morningstar's report on mutual fund flows:

Following the Fed's announcement that it will keep short-term rates near zero through mid-2015, investors revealed a willingness to take on risk within fixed income. Riskier categories such as emerging-markets bond, high-yield bond, and bank-loan each saw inflows of approximately $2.0 billion during the month.
The largest fixed-income category, intermediate-term bond, collected new assets of more than $13.2 billion, bolstered by inflows of $2.8 billion for PIMCO funds and more than $1.4 billion for DoubleLine.
Within equities, nearly every category saw outflows, led by large-growth with redemptions of $5.0 billion. While open-end equity mutual funds lost assets of $16.8 billion, nearly an equal amount flowed into equity exchange-traded funds.
Dividend-focused funds have attracted $17.3 billion in assets this year, even as U.S.-stock funds lost $82.6 billion overall.

To view the complete report, please visit [ http://www.global.morningstar.com/septflows12 ]. For more information about Morningstar Asset Flows, please visit [ http://global.morningstar.com/assetflows ].

The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete, or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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 385,000 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 registered investment advisor subsidiaries and has more than $186 billion in assets under advisement and management as of June 30, 2012. The company has operations in 27 countries.

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

SOURCE Morningstar, Inc.

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Morningstar Reports U.S. Mutual Fund Asset Flows Through September 2012

Morningstar Reports U.S. Mutual Fund Asset Flows Through September 2012