Morningstar Announces Site Builder(SM); BlackRock Licenses Tool as Key Component of New Web Site for Financial Advisors

CHICAGO, March 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq:MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, todayannounced Morningstar(R) Site Builder(SM) , a new Web-based platformconsisting of Morningstar's financial advisor tools, content, and reportsthat investment firms can seamlessly add to their existing advisor Websites. Site Builder includes a broad range of Morningstar investmentresearch, portfolio analysis tools, and sales and educational materials toaugment firms' online Web properties. Site Builder can be integrated intoan existing Web site's framework to encompass a firm's brand identity,design elements, and style sheets. BlackRock recently licensed Morningstar Site Builder for use byfinancial advisors as a key component in the launch of its new externalFinancial Professional Web site. BlackRock's site has received accoladesfrom industry sources, including Dalbar's Mutual Fund Web Monitor Q4 - 2007rankings, and independent consultant kasina's 2007 Top 10 Web Sites forFinancial Intermediaries. "Investment companies acknowledge that the Web is playing anincreasingly important role in wholesaling activities and in deliveringuseful product information to financial advisors," said Chris Boruff,president of Morningstar's advisor business. "A strong online presence isan essential part of a fund company's marketing, education, and servicestrategy to help advisors and, in turn, end-investors. With that, it'scritical for firms to differentiate themselves and provide more dynamiccontent to engage advisors." "Financial professionals have a great deal of choice in the assetmanagers they select on behalf of their clients, which means we need toprovide a high level of service and support," said Scott Finder, managingdirector, eBusiness, BlackRock. "Our Web presence is a critical touch pointand it needs to provide a positive experience for financial professionals.High impact tools and content, organized in an intuitive fashion, ensuresthat advisors can get what they need quickly, allowing them to focus thebulk of their time on client relationships. Trusted investment research andsoftware tool providers like Morningstar help make our site significantlymore valuable." Firms can select all, or some of the following Morningstar tools andassociated Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)-reviewed reportsand presentations for their sites: Hypothetical Illustrator, PortfolioAnalysis, Portfolio Comparison, Fund Comparison, Stock Intersection,Investment Detail Reports, Fund Profile Pages, Fund Cost Comparison, ShareClass Cost Comparison, Fund Screener, Find Similar Funds, Retirement andCollege Savings Calculator, Retirement Income Illustrator, and IbbotsonPresentations and Sales Ideas. About Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investmentresearch in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company offersan extensive line of Internet, software, and print-based products andservices for individuals, financial advisors, and institutions. Morningstarprovides data on more than 265,000 investment offerings, including stocks,mutual funds, and similar vehicles. The company has operations in 18countries and minority ownership positions in companies based in threeother countries.
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