Morningstar
morningstar.com
Independent analyst research on stocks, funds and ETFs, known for fair value estimates, star and moat ratings, with portfolio X-ray tools on the paid plan.
What it is
Morningstar is a research house that has covered funds and stocks for more than four decades. Its public site at morningstar.com carries market news, articles, quotes and charts, along with tool menus for portfolios, watchlists, screeners and comparisons. The paid layer, Morningstar Investor, is where most of the analyst work sits: unlimited access to reports, commentary and ratings on thousands of stocks and funds.
The ratings are the reason most people come. For a stock, analysts publish a per-share fair value estimate, an uncertainty rating, a star rating that rises as the price falls below fair value, and an economic moat rating (wide, narrow or none) for how well the company can hold off competitors. Funds and ETFs get ratings on their ability to beat peers over time.
Investor also adds a screener with more than 200 data points and pre-filtered lists, Portfolio X-Ray for asset allocation, fees, sector weights and style, Stock Intersection for spotting overlapping holdings across funds, custom views and alerts on ratings changes and analyst notes. It costs $34.95 a month or $249 a year after a 7-day free trial, available once per person.
Morningstar's approach is long-term valuation rather than trade timing. Its product pages list no real-time scanning, options analysis or advanced technical charting, and the portfolio tools are aimed at US-based investments.
Key features
- Fair Value Estimate
- An analyst's per-share estimate of what a company is worth, based on its operations, risks and outlook, used to judge whether a stock is over- or undervalued.
- Star rating for stocks
- One to five stars based on the current price versus fair value and the uncertainty around that estimate; a bigger discount means more stars.
- Economic Moat Rating
- Wide, narrow or none, based on network effects, intangible assets, cost advantage, switching costs and efficient scale.
- Analyst reports
- Unlimited access on Investor to one-page reports, company commentary and news across thousands of stocks and funds.
- Screener
- Pre-filtered investment lists or custom screens built from more than 200 data points, with saved custom views.
- Portfolio X-Ray and Stock Intersection
- Break down a portfolio's asset allocation, fees, sector weightings and stock styles, and find stocks held by several of your funds at once.
- Alerts
- Notifications on portfolio and watchlist holdings for news, rating changes and analyst notes.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Public site with news, articles, quotes and basic tools |
| Morningstar Investor (monthly) | $34.95/mo | Full analyst reports and ratings, screener, portfolio X-Ray, alerts |
| Morningstar Investor (yearly) | $249/yr | Same features; works out to $20.75/mo |
A 7-day free trial is offered once per person. The subscription rate is subject to change without notice.
Free option: Morningstar.com is free to browse for market news, articles, quotes and charts; Morningstar Investor has a one-time 7-day free trial.
Checked September 25, 2026 on morningstar.com. Prices change; confirm on the provider's site before you subscribe.
Strengths
- Independent analysts with a published, consistent method for fair value and moat ratings
- Covers stocks, mutual funds and ETFs in one place
- Portfolio X-Ray shows fees, allocation and overlapping holdings across funds
- Yearly plan costs about 41% less than paying monthly
Limitations
- Full analyst reports and the premium tools need Morningstar Investor at $34.95/mo or $249/yr
- The free trial lasts 7 days and can only be used once
- Portfolio tools focus on US-based investments
- Built around long-term valuation; the Investor product pages list no real-time scanning or options analytics
Good fit for
- Long-term stock investors who want an independent fair value estimate
- Fund and ETF investors comparing costs and ratings
- Investors checking a portfolio for overlap and fee drag
Look elsewhere if
- Day traders and options traders who need real-time data and technical tools
- Traders looking for short-term trade ideas or signals
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Morningstar questions
How much does Morningstar Investor cost?
$34.95 a month or $249 a year, which is $20.75 a month. There is a 7-day free trial for first-time subscribers.
Is Morningstar free?
The public morningstar.com site with news, articles and quotes is free. Full analyst reports, the premium screener and portfolio X-Ray need a Morningstar Investor subscription.
What is Morningstar's economic moat rating?
A rating of wide, narrow or none that reflects how well a company can fend off competitors and keep earning high returns, based on factors like network effects, switching costs and cost advantage.
How does the Morningstar star rating for stocks work?
It compares the stock price with Morningstar's fair value estimate, adjusted for uncertainty. The further the price is below fair value, the more stars the stock gets.
Written from Morningstar's own website and documentation. All Trading Tools lists and compares tools; it does not recommend trades or give financial advice. Sources: morningstar.com, morningstar.com/mm, morningstar.com/mm/investor/learn, morningstar.com/mm/investor/stock-analysis.