Morningstar to acquire Standard and Poor’s mutual fund data business

Morningstar, Inc., (Nasdaq: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, and Standard and Poor’s, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, (NYSE: MHP), have entered into a definitive agreement for Morningstar to acquire Standard and Poor’s mutual fund data business for $55 million in cash, subject to post-closing adjustments.

Standard and Poor’s fund data business consists of data and products covering more than 135,000 managed investment vehicles, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), hedge funds, and offshore funds. Under terms of the agreement, Standard and Poor’s will license fund data from Morningstar after the acquisition is completed. The companies expect to complete the transaction in March, subject to customary closing conditions.

“With the acquisition of Standard and Poor’s fund data business, we believe we’ll have the most extensive global database for managed investment products in the industry. The combination of Morningstar’s industry-standard investment data and Standard and Poor’s international mutual fund data will significantly strengthen our global database and our offerings to investors,” said Joe Mansueto, chairman and chief executive officer of Morningstar. “Our high-quality data forms the foundation of our business. It’s an important investment for us and a critical component of our research platform.”

“Additionally, Morningstar will have a much stronger presence outside the United States, particularly in Europe, where Standard and Poor’s has operated for more than 20 years. Our fund data businesses complement each other well, and Morningstar’s new and existing clients worldwide will benefit from having a complete investment data and research solution from a single provider,” he added.

Key benefits of the acquisition:

Morningstar will have the most extensive global database for managed products. The combination of Morningstar’s high-quality, industry-standard investment data and Standard and Poor’s international fund data will strengthen Morningstar’s global database and offerings to investors.

The acquisition complements one of Morningstar’s key growth strategies, which is to expand its brand, presence, and products for investors, advisors, and institutions around the globe. Approximately 80 percent of Standard and Poor’s mutual fund data business is outside the United States. The acquisition will give Morningstar a much stronger presence outside the United States, particularly in Europe.

The acquisition will significantly expand Morningstar’s client base and media partnerships in Europe and Asia. More than 1,100 institutions around the world use Standard and Poor’s fund data products, and Morningstar expects to extend its reach to about 10,000 new advisors outside the United States. Upon completion of the acquisition, Morningstar expects to provide investment data to more than 200 publications and media outlets worldwide.

Morningstar’s existing clients and the former Standard and Poor’s fund data clients worldwide will benefit from having a complete solution from a single provider.

The acquisition will significantly enhance Morningstar’s institutional software offering. Standard and Poor’s Workstation product, a fund performance and analysis system for asset managers, has been very successful in Europe and Asia and complements Morningstar Direct, Morningstar’s flagship global investment research platform for institutions.

Standard and Poor’s has a successful mutual fund data feeds business and several products for financial advisors, which also complement Morningstar’s offerings.

Morningstar provides data on more than 190,000 investment offerings, including nearly 130,000 managed products such as mutual funds, ETFs, insurance and pension funds, separate accounts, and hedge funds. The company has more than 165 analysts around the world and provides independent research and analysis on more than 2,000 mutual funds and ETFs as well as 1,900 stocks. Morningstar provides quantitative star ratings on nearly 25,000 distinct mutual fund portfolios and ETFs globally.