SYDNEY, 7 October 2015 - Morningstar Australasia Pty Limited, a subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, has appointed Carolyn Holmes, CPA as Director of Equity Research, Australia/New Zealand.

Based in Sydney, Holmes leads a team of 20 analysts and oversees Morningstar's Australian and New Zealand equity research, including the development of institutional-quality company reports, analyst notes, pick lists, and industry and sector research along with proprietary qualitative ratings including the Morningstar® Economic Moat™, Fair Value Estimate, Uncertainty Rating, and Stewardship Rating. Morningstar equity analysts also publish in-depth sector reports that harness the company's focus on a
long-term investment horizon and economic moats - or sustainable competitive advantages - to analyse complex investment trends.

Holmes reports to Michael Holt, CFA, Morningstar Global Head of Equity Research. Joel Bloomer, formerly Morningstar Head of Equity Research, Asia-Pacific, has taken on a new role as Head of Discretionary Equity Strategies in Morningstar's Sydney-based investment management team. Bloomer reports to Andrew Lill, Morningstar Investment Management Chief Investment Officer, Asia-Pacific.

'Carolyn brings significant experience in the Australasian financial services industry, broad and deep knowledge of the region's sharemarkets and industries, and strong skills in analysing stocks and managing analyst teams,' Holt said. 'Her expertise will enhance our equity research offerings to local investors to help them make better investing decisions to reach their financial goals. Joel's new role signals our commitment to investing in our portfolio management capabilities and providing leadership in both equity research and investment solutions for our clients.'

Holmes has more than two decades of experience in equity research and portfolio management. She worked most recently as Executive Director and Senior Equity Analyst at JP Morgan in Sydney. Previously, she worked as Director and Head of Equity Research at ABN AMRO New Zealand, and prior to that worked at Citigroup Smith Barney New Zealand and Credit Suisse First Boston New Zealand. Holmes began her career in equity research and portfolio management with AMP Investments Australia/New Zealand. She has featured regularly in the East Coles, StarMine, Peter Lee, and INFINZ surveys of highly rated Australian and New Zealand sell-side equity analysts as voted by institutional investors.

Holmes holds a bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of New South Wales, a master's degree in legal studies with honours specialising in commercial law from the University of Auckland, and a postgraduate diploma in applied finance and investment from the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (Finsia). She is a member of CPA Australia and a Fellow of Finsia.

Morningstar is one of the largest providers of independent equity research, employing approximately 100 equity analysts worldwide who cover approximately 1,400 stocks. The firm's equity research is published in Morningstar Select, its institutional equity research portal; Morningstar DirectTM, the company's global investment analysis platform for institutional investors; Morningstar® Adviser Research CentreTM, the firm's web-based research solution for Australian and New Zealand financial planning dealer groups and broking firms; and Morningstar.com.au, the company's website for Australian and New Zealand individual investors. More information about Morningstar's equity research offerings is available here.

About Morningstar Australasia Pty Limited and Morningstar, Inc.
Morningstar Australasia Pty Limited is a subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc., 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 individual investors, financial advisers, asset managers, and retirement plan providers and sponsors. Morningstar provides data on more than 500,000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual funds, and similar vehicles, along with real-time global market data on more than 16 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 advisory subsidiaries, with more than US$180.0 billion in assets under advisement and management at 30 June 2015. The company has operations in 27 countries.

distributed by