CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, has been selected by Charles Schwab to provide global equity analyst research and ratings for retail investors and the independent registered investment advisors (RIAs) that custody with the firm.

Schwab is the largest brokerage firm to date with an enterprise-wide license for Morningstar's equity research. The research will be available to Schwab's retail clients on Schwab.com and RIA firms on SchwabAdvisorCenter.com by the end of the year.

Morningstar will provide Schwab with global equity analyst reports and ratings for approximately 1,400 companies, as well as sector reports, morning notes, U.S. and Canadian pick lists, analyst insights, analyst videos, weekly research highlights, and a quarterly market outlook.

"Schwab and Morningstar share a commitment to helping investors achieve better outcomes, either directly or through their advisors," Kunal Kapoor, head of client solutions and information products for Morningstar, said. "Our analysts' long-term outlook, consistent valuation process, and focus on sustainable competitive advantages helps investors identify high-quality companies that are attractively valued. Extending our research to Schwab's large audience helps both organizations advance our goals of improving the investor experience."

In 2015, Morningstar will roll out additional services for advisors that custody with Schwab, including single sign-on access from Schwab's Research workstation to Morningstar's Analyst Research Center, quarterly calls with Morningstar analysts, and access to a Morningstar analyst research liaison desk for more in-depth research into companies.

Morningstar launched its equity research in 1998 and has about 120 global equity and corporate credit analysts who provide qualitative analyst coverage of approximately 1,400 companies. The company serves individuals, advisors, and institutional investors worldwide. More information about Morningstar's equity research offerings and methodology is available at http://global.morningstar.com/EquityResearch.

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 individual investors, financial advisors, asset managers, and retirement plan providers and sponsors. Morningstar provides data on approximately 479,000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual funds, and similar vehicles, along with real-time global market data on more than 13 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 and had approximately $169 billion in assets under advisement and management as of Sept. 30, 2014. The company has operations in 27 countries.

©2014 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Media Contacts:
Margaret Kirch Cohen, +1 312-696-6383 or margaret.cohen@morningstar.com
Carling Spelhaug, +1 312-696-6150 or carling.spelhaug@morningstar.com

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SOURCE Morningstar, Inc.