UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.  20549

 
FORM 8-K

 
CURRENT REPORT
 
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  May 15, 2012
 
MORNINGSTAR, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Illinois	 	000-51280	 	36-3297908	
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)	 	(Commission
File Number)	 	(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)	

22 West Washington Street
Chicago, Illinois	 	60602	
(Address of principal executive offices)	 	(Zip Code)	
 
(312) 696-6000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
 
N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
 
o             Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
 
o             Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
 
o             Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
 
o             Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)

 

 
Item 5.07.  Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
 
Morningstar held its Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on May 15, 2012, for the purpose of electing directors, ratifying the appointment of KPMG LLP (KPMG) as Morningstar’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2012, and voting on one shareholder proposal.
 
Each of the nominees for director, as listed in the proxy statement, was elected with the number of votes set forth below:

Name	 	Votes For	 	Votes Against	 	Abstentions	 	Broker Non-Votes	 	
Joe Mansueto	 	46,336,192	 	322,434	 	4,096	 	2,204,518	 	
Don Phillips	 	46,558,580	 	99,875	 	4,267	 	2,204,518	 	
Cheryl Francis	 	46,527,074	 	130,540	 	5,108	 	2,204,518	 	
Steve Kaplan	 	46,487,536	 	170,110	 	5,076	 	2,204,518	 	
Bill Lyons	 	46,544,690	 	112,805	 	5,227	 	2,204,518	 	
Jack Noonan	 	46,498,644	 	159,750	 	4,328	 	2,204,518	 	
Paul Sturm	 	46,234,328	 	423,324	 	5,070	 	2,204,518	 	
Hugh Zentmyer	 	46,594,057	 	63,424	 	5,241	 	2,204,518	 	
 
The appointment of KPMG as Morningstar’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2012 was ratified with the voting as follows:

Votes For	 	Votes Against	 	Abstentions	 	
48,650,286	 	212,235	 	4,719	 	
 
The shareholder proposal regarding an independent board chairman was not approved with the voting as follows:

Votes For	 	Votes Against	 	Abstentions	 	Broker Non-Votes	 	
7,418,881	 	39,237,191	 	6,650	 	2,204,518	 	
 
Item 8.01.  Other Events.
 
On May 15, 2012, Morningstar, Inc. issued a press release announcing that its Board of Directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of 10 cents per share payable July 31, 2012 to shareholders of record as of July 13, 2012.  A copy of the press release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K.
 
Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.
 
(d)        Exhibits:

Exhibit No.	 	Description	
 	 	 	
99.1	 	Press Release dated May 15, 2012 regarding quarterly dividend.	
 
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SIGNATURES
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 	MORNINGSTAR, INC.	

Date: May 16, 2012	By:	/s/ Richard E. Robbins	
 	Name:	Richard E. Robbins	
 	Title:	General Counsel and Corporate Secretary	
 
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Exhibit 99.1

	 		

Media Contact:
Margaret Kirch Cohen, 312-696-6383 or margaret.cohen@morningstar.com
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Morningstar, Inc. Declares Regular Quarterly Dividend of 10 Cents Per Share
 
CHICAGO, May 15, 2012—The board of directors of Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, today declared a quarterly dividend of 10 cents per share. The dividend is payable July 31, 2012 to shareholders of record as of July 13, 2012.
 
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 380,000 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 $190 billion in assets under advisement and management as of March 31, 2012. The company has operations in 27 countries.
 
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©2012 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
 
MORN-C
 
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