UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 10-Q

 


 

x

 

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2006

 

OR

 

o

 

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from         to         

 

Commission File Number: 000-51280

 


 

MORNINGSTAR, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

Illinois

 

36-3297908

(State or Other Jurisdiction of

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Incorporation or Organization)

 

Identification Number)

 

225 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, Illinois

60606-6303

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

(312) 696-6000

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 


 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes  x   No  o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer.  See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer  o

 

Accelerated filer  o

 

Non-accelerated filer  x

 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the    Exchange Act). Yes  o   No  x

 

As of November 1, 2006, there were 41,772,625 shares of the Company’s common stock, no par value, outstanding.

 

 



 

MORNINGSTAR, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

INDEX

 

PART 1

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

 

Item 1.

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

 

 

 

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005

 

 

 

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005

 

 

 

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity and Comprehensive Income for the nine months ended September 30, 2006

 

 

 

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005

 

 

 

Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

 

 

Item 2.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

 

Item 3.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure about Market Risk

 

 

Item 4.

Controls and Procedures

 

 

PART 2

OTHER INFORMATION

 

 

Item 1.

Legal Proceedings

 

 

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

 

 

Item 6.

Exhibits

 

 

SIGNATURE

 

 

 

2



 

PART 1: FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1: Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

 

Morningstar, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended September 30

 

Nine Months Ended September 30

 

(in thousands except per share amounts)

 

2006

 

2005

 

2006

 

2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

 

$

81,821

 

$

56,927

 

$

228,138

 

$

166,374

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating expense (1):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of goods sold

 

22,389

 

16,261

 

63,114

 

47,847

 

Development

 

7,876

 

4,749

 

21,273

 

14,491

 

Sales and marketing

 

12,971

 

9,499

 

36,511

 

29,129

 

General and administrative

 

13,781

 

11,849

 

39,606

 

36,068

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

4,267

 

2,222

 

10,440

 

6,470

 

Total operating expense

 

61,284

 

44,580

 

170,944

 

134,005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating income

 

20,537

 

12,347

 

57,194

 

32,369

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-operating income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest income, net

 

1,169

 

892

 

3,086

 

1,946

 

Other income (expense), net

 

(31

)

(46

)

(343

)

14

 

Non-operating income, net

 

1,138

 

846

 

2,743

 

1,960

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before income taxes, equity in net income of unconsolidated entities, and cumulative effect of accounting change

 

21,675

 

13,193

 

59,937

 

34,329

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income tax expense

 

9,228

 

5,857

 

24,450

 

14,517

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity in net income of unconsolidated entities

 

1,100

 

183

 

2,405

 

1,212

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before cumulative effect of accounting change

 

13,547

 

7,519

 

37,892

 

21,024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cumulative effect of accounting change, net of income tax expense of $171

 

 

 

259

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

13,547

 

$

7,519

 

$

38,151

 

$

21,024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic income per share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before cumulative effect of accounting change

 

$

0.33

 

$

0.19

 

$

0.93

 

$

0.54

 

Cumulative effect of accounting change

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

0.33

 

$

0.19

 

$

0.93

 

$

0.54

 

Diluted income per share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before cumulative effect of accounting change

 

$

0.29

 

$

0.17

 

$

0.81

 

$

0.48

 

Cumulative effect of accounting change

 

 

 

0.01

 

 

Net income

 

$

0.29

 

$

0.17

 

$

0.82

 

$

0.48

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average shares outstanding:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

41,448

 

39,922

 

40,913

 

39,151

 

Diluted

 

46,578

 

45,354

 

46,598

 

43,939

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended September 30

 

Nine Months Ended September 30

 

 

 

2006

 

2005

 

2006

 

2005

 

(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense of:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of goods sold

 

$

302

 

$

274

 

$

859

 

$

1,202

 

Development

 

141

 

112

 

386

 

492

 

Sales and marketing

 

152

 

129

 

415

 

582

 

General and administrative

 

1,663

 

1,515

 

4,611

 

6,579

 

Total stock-based compensation expense

 

$

2,258

 

$

2,030

 

$

6,271

 

$

8,855

 

 

See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

3



 

Morningstar, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(in thousands except share amounts)

 

September 30
2006

 

December 31
2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

71,181

 

$

92,367

 

Investments

 

53,069

 

60,823

 

Accounts receivable, less allowance of $101 and $418, respectively

 

57,893

 

47,530

 

Deferred tax asset, net

 

61

 

 

Other

 

6,777

 

5,495

 

Total current assets

 

188,981

 

206,215

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property, equipment, and capitalized software, net of accumulated depreciation of $46,382 and $40,687, respectively

 

16,102

 

17,355

 

Investments in unconsolidated entities

 

18,218

 

16,355

 

Goodwill

 

84,542

 

17,500

 

Intangible assets, net

 

77,876

 

7,251

 

Deferred tax asset, net

 

8,907

 

29,729

 

Other assets

 

2,263

 

1,906

 

Total assets

 

$

396,889

 

$

296,311

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and shareholders’ equity

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

$

21,367

 

$

13,664

 

Accrued compensation

 

29,423

 

26,463

 

Income tax payable

 

2,470

 

1,259

 

Deferred revenue

 

92,750

 

71,155

 

Deferred tax liability, net

 

 

833

 

Other

 

2,312

 

2,467

 

Total current liabilities

 

148,322

 

115,841

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accrued compensation

 

5,147

 

4,458

 

Other long-term liabilities

 

3,471

 

2,298

 

Total liabilities

 

156,940

 

122,597

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ equity:

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock, no par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized, of which 41,610,949 and 40,284,513 shares were outstanding as of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005, respectively

 

4

 

4

 

Treasury stock at cost, 233,334 shares as of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005

 

(3,280

)

(3,280

)

Additional paid-in capital

 

254,466

 

226,593

 

Accumulated deficit

 

(12,457

)

(50,608

)

Accumulated other comprehensive income:

 

 

 

 

 

Currency translation adjustment

 

1,287

 

1,130

 

Unrealized losses on available for sale securities

 

(71

)

(125

)

Total accumulated other comprehensive income

 

1,216

 

1,005

 

Total shareholders’ equity

 

239,949

 

173,714

 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

 

$

396,889

 

$

296,311

 

 

See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

4



 

Morningstar, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Shareholders’ Equity and Comprehensive Income

For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated

 

 

 

 

 

Common Stock

 

 

 

Additional

 

 

 

Other

 

Total

 

 

 

Shares

 

Par

 

Treasury

 

Paid-in

 

Accumulated

 

Comprehensive

 

Shareholders’

 

(in thousands, except share amounts)

 

Outstanding

 

Value

 

Stock

 

Capital

 

Deficit

 

Income

 

Equity

 

Balance, December 31, 2005

 

40,284,513

 

$

4

 

$

(3,280

)

$

226,593

 

$

(50,608

)

$

1,005

 

$

173,714

 

Comprehensive income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

 

38,151

 

 

38,151

 

Unrealized gain on investments, net of income tax expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

54

 

54

 

Foreign currency translation adjustment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

157

 

157

 

Total comprehensive income

 

 

 

 

 

 

38,151

 

211

 

38,362

 

Issuance of common stock related to stock option exercises, net

 

1,326,436

 

 

 

13,212

 

 

 

13,212

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 

 

 

 

6,271

 

 

 

6,271

 

Cumulative effect of accounting change

 

 

 

 

 

(430

)

 

 

(430

)

Tax benefit derived from stock option exercises

 

 

 

 

 

8,820

 

 

 

8,820

 

Balance, September 30, 2006

 

41,610,949

 

$

4

 

$

(3,280

)

$

254,466

 

$

(12,457

)

$

1,216

 

$

239,949

 

 

See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

5



 

Morningstar, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nine Months Ended September 30

 

(in thousands)

 

2006

 

2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating activities

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

38,151

 

$

21,024

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows from operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax

 

(259

)

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

10,440

 

6,470

 

Deferred income tax benefit

 

(2,310

)

(292

)

Stock-based compensation expense

 

6,271

 

8,855

 

Provision for bad debt

 

161

 

243

 

Equity in net income of unconsolidated entities

 

(2,405

)

(1,212

)

Foreign exchange loss

 

450

 

124

 

Excess tax benefits from stock option exercises

 

(8,820

)

1,117

 

Other, net

 

13

 

(160

)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisitions:

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable

 

(2,375

)

(3,461

)

Other assets

 

1,120

 

366

 

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

(473

)

(104

)

Accrued compensation

 

2,431

 

(1,281

)

Income taxes payable

 

22,695

 

(1,926

)

Deferred revenue

 

3,589

 

1,315

 

Other liabilities

 

348

 

(1,193

)

Cash provided by operating activities

 

69,027

 

29,885

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investing activities

 

 

 

 

 

Purchases of investments

 

(57,369

)

(54,938

)

Proceeds from sale of investments

 

65,239

 

55,830

 

Capital expenditures

 

(2,876

)

(3,625

)

Acquisitions, net of cash acquired

 

(116,859

)

(8,192

)

Other, net

 

(308

)

18

 

Cash used for investing activities

 

(112,173

)

(10,907

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financing activities

 

 

 

 

 

Payments of long-term debt and capital lease obligations

 

 

(18

)

Proceeds from initial public offering

 

 

18,108

 

Proceeds from stock option exercises

 

13,212

 

3,964

 

Excess tax benefits from stock option exercises

 

8,820

 

 

Cash provided by financing activities

 

22,032

 

22,054

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash

 

(72

)

(166

)

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

 

(21,186

)

40,866

 

Cash and cash equivalents — beginning of period

 

92,367

 

35,907

 

Cash and cash equivalents — end of period

 

$

71,181

 

$

76,773

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:

 

 

 

 

 

Cash paid for taxes

 

$

3,481

 

$

15,471

 

Supplemental information of non-cash investing and financing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

Unrealized gain (loss) on available for sale investments

 

$

91

 

$

(35

)

 

See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

6



 

MORNINGSTAR, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1. Basis of Presentation of Interim Financial Information

 

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Morningstar, Inc. and subsidiaries (Morningstar, we, our, the Company) included herein have been prepared to conform to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expense. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the opinion of management, the statements reflect all adjustments, which are of a normal recurring nature, necessary to present fairly our financial position, results of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows. These financial statements and notes should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto as of December 31, 2005 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2006.

 

In the first quarter of 2006, we changed our segment reporting by allocating stock-based compensation expense to each of our three business segments. Before 2006, stock-based compensation expense was recorded as a corporate item. We believe this change gives our chief operating decision maker a more complete picture of the profitability of each business segment after fully allocating stock-based compensation expense. We have reclassified the 2005 financial results for each segment to reflect this change.

 

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

We discuss our significant accounting policies in Note 2 of our Consolidated Financial Statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 filed with the SEC.

 

Effective January 1, 2006, we adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 123 (Revised 2004), Share-Based Payment (SFAS No. 123(R)), using the modified prospective transition method. Under this method, the provisions of SFAS
No. 123(R) apply to all awards granted after the date of adoption and to any unrecognized expense of awards unvested at the date of adoption based on the fair value as of the date of grant. Prior to this date, we accounted for our stock options in accordance with the fair value provisions of SFAS No. 123, Stock-Based Compensation (SFAS No. 123). Under SFAS No. 123, we accounted for forfeitures of stock options as they occurred. SFAS No. 123(R) requires us to estimate expected forfeitures at the grant date and recognize compensation cost only for those awards expected to vest. Accordingly, in the first quarter of 2006, we recorded a cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax, of $259,000 to reverse the impact of stock-based compensation expense recorded in prior years related to outstanding stock options that we estimate will not vest. Besides recording this cumulative effect of accounting change, the adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) did not have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations because we previously recognized stock-based compensation expense in accordance with SFAS No. 123.

 

Prior to our adoption of SFAS 123(R), we classified tax benefits arising from the exercise of stock options as operating cash flows. SFAS No. 123(R) requires that we classify the cash flows resulting from the tax benefit that arises when the tax deductions exceed the compensation cost recognized for those options (excess tax benefits) as financing cash flows. The excess tax benefits were $8,820,000 in the first nine months of 2006, and $1,117,000 in the first nine months of 2005. Refer to Note 8 of the Notes to our Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for more information regarding our adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) and our accounting for stock options and restricted stock units.

 

3. Acquisitions, Goodwill, and Other Intangible Assets

 

Institutional Hedge Fund and Separate Accounts Database Division of InvestorForce, Inc.

 

In August 2006, we acquired the institutional hedge fund and separate account database division of InvestorForce, Inc. (InvestorForce), a financial software and data integration company based in Wayne, Pennsylvania, for $10,040,000 in cash, including expenses directly related to the acquisition. We have included the financial results of this acquisition in our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements beginning on August 1, 2006. This acquisition includes both the Altvest database, one of the first and largest databases covering hedge funds, managers, and data, along with InvestorForce’s extensive institutional separate account database. It also includes several online software applications for manager search, research, and reporting. We believe that this acquisition will strengthen our proprietary investment data and allow us to continue offering one of the largest, most comprehensive databases.

 

 

 

7



 

The following table summarizes our preliminary allocation of the purchase price to the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of the acquisition:

 

 

 

($000)

 

Accounts receivable

 

$

353

 

Intangible assets

 

5,180

 

Goodwill

 

6,121

 

Deferred revenue

 

(1,614

)

Total purchase price

 

$

10,040

 

 

The preliminary purchase price allocation includes $5,180,000 of acquired intangible assets. These assets include technology-based assets of $2,500,000 that will be amortized over a weighted average period of 5 years; customer-based assets of $2,210,000 that will be amortized over a weighted average period of 5 years; trade names of $420,000 that will be amortized over a weighted average period of 4 years; and a non-compete agreement of $50,000 that will be amortized over 3 years. The preliminary purchase price allocation also includes $6,121,000 of goodwill. Both the acquired intangible assets and the acquired goodwill are deductible for U.S. income tax purposes.

 

If the acquisition of the database division of InvestorForce had occurred as of January 1, 2005 and 2006, revenue, operating income, net income, and basic and diluted income per share would not have been significantly different from the amounts reported in the first nine months of 2006 and 2005, respectively.

 

Aspect Huntley Pty Limited

 

In July 2006, we acquired Aspect Huntley Pty Limited (Aspect Huntley), a leading provider of equity information, research, and financial trade publishing in Australia, for $23,526,000. We have included the results of Aspect Huntley’s operations in our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements beginning on July 25, 2006. This acquisition fits with our growth strategy to expand our products and services internationally. The key benefit of this acquisition is the combination of Morningstar’s expertise in fund research and information with Aspect Huntley’s equity research, information, and financial media expertise in Australia. We believe this acquisition will significantly expand the breadth and quality of services we can deliver to individuals, advisors, and institutions and will offer Australian investors one place to obtain their investment information and research.

 

The purchase price represents Australian $30,000,000 in cash  (of which Australian $2,000,000 will be paid in 2007) and our current estimate of certain post-closing adjustments. In the third quarter of 2006, the cash paid for Aspect Huntley, including transaction costs, was $20,469,000 (net of cash acquired). Of the remaining purchase price of $2,135,000, we anticipate that the majority will be paid in the third quarter of 2007. These remaining payments are subject to post-closing adjustments.

 

The following table summarizes our preliminary allocation of the purchase price to the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of the acquisition:

 

 

 

($000)

 

Cash

 

$

922

 

Accounts receivable

 

671

 

Other current assets

 

324

 

Fixed assets

 

273

 

Intangible assets

 

14,490

 

Goodwill

 

13,926

 

Deferred revenue

 

(5,122

)

Other current liabilities

 

(1,850

)

Income taxes payable

 

(108

)

Total purchase price

 

$

23,526

 

 

The preliminary purchase price allocation includes $14,490,000 of acquired intangible assets. These assets include trade names of $8,245,000 that will be amortized over a weighted average period of 10 years; technology-based assets (primarily including a database) of $5,952,000 that will be amortized over a weighted average period of 19 years; and customer-related assets of $293,000 that will be amortized over 10 years.

 

If the acquisition of Aspect Huntley had occurred as of January 1, 2005 and 2006, revenue, operating income, net income, and basic and diluted income per share would not have been significantly different from the amounts reported in the first nine months of 2006 and 2005, respectively.

 

 

8



 

Ibbotson Associates, Inc.

 

In March 2006, we acquired Ibbotson Associates, Inc. (Ibbotson), a privately held firm specializing in asset allocation research and services, for $83,000,000 in cash, plus an additional $3,474,000 in cash for working capital and other items. We have included the results of Ibbotson’s operations in our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements beginning on March 1, 2006. This acquisition fits several of Morningstar’s growth strategies and broadens our reach in the areas of investment consulting, managed retirement accounts, and institutional and advisor software.

 

The following table summarizes our preliminary allocation of the purchase price to the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of the acquisition:

 

 

 

($000)

 

Cash

 

$

103

 

Accounts receivable

 

6,629

 

Income tax benefits, net

 

12,776

 

Other current assets

 

1,530

 

Fixed assets

 

1,407

 

Other assets

 

166

 

Intangible assets

 

55,280

 

Goodwill

 

47,009

 

Deferred revenue

 

(10,672

)

Accrued liabilities

 

(4,885

)

Deferred tax liability

 

(22,108

)

Other non-current liabilities

 

(761

)

Total purchase price

 

$

86,474

 

 

As part of the preliminary purchase price allocation, we recorded an asset of $12,776,000, primarily for the income tax benefit related to payment for the cancellation of Ibbotson’s stock options. This cash income tax benefit will reduce the amount of cash we pay for income taxes in 2006. This cash income tax benefit did not impact our income tax expense or net income in the first nine months of 2006.

 

The preliminary purchase price allocation also includes $55,280,000 of acquired intangible assets. These assets include customer-related assets of $34,200,000 that will be amortized over a weighted average period of 9 years; intellectual property (including patents and trade names) of $17,710,000 that will be amortized over a weighted average period of 10 years; technology-based assets of $3,070,000 that will be amortized over a weighted average period of 5 years; and a non-compete agreement of $300,000 that will be amortized over 5 years. Because the amortization expense for these intangible assets is not deductible for U.S. income tax purposes, we recorded a deferred tax liability of $21,971,000 based on these values.

 

Based on the preliminary purchase price allocation, we recorded $47,009,000 of goodwill. The goodwill we recorded is not deductible for U.S. income tax purposes. SFAS No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, prohibits recognition of a deferred tax asset or liability for goodwill temporary differences if goodwill is not amortizable and deductible for tax purposes. The goodwill will be tested at least annually for impairment in accordance with SFAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.

 

Based on plans in place at the time of acquisition, we recorded a liability of $596,000 for severance and $761,000 for lease termination costs, net of estimated sub-lease income. As of September 30, 2006, we have made substantially all of the related severance payments. We expect to pay the lease termination costs beginning in March 2008, which is when we plan to vacate Ibbotson’s office space.

 

The following unaudited pro forma information presents a summary of our consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005 as if we had acquired Ibbotson as of January 1, 2005 and 2006, respectively. In calculating the pro forma information below, we made an adjustment to eliminate stock-based compensation expense previously recorded by Ibbotson based on the recognition and measurement principles of APB Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, and related interpretations. We also made an adjustment to record stock-based compensation expense for an estimated value of stock options assumed to be granted to Ibbotson employees. This adjustment assumes the stock option awards were made in May 2005, consistent with the timing of our annual equity grant, and vest over a four-year period. In 2005, we recorded stock-based compensation expense based on the recognition and measurement principles of SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation.

 

 

9



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended September 30

 

Nine Months ended September 30

 

($000)

 

2006

 

2005

 

2006

 

2005

 

Revenue

 

$

81,821

 

$

63,385

 

$

235,529

 

$

196,693

 

Operating income

 

20,537

 

9,556

 

57,535

 

30,514

 

Income before cumulative effect of accounting change

 

13,547

 

5,535

 

37,867

 

18,870

 

Net income

 

13,547

 

5,535

 

38,126

 

18,870

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic income per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before cumulative effect of accounting change

 

$

0.33

 

$

0.14

 

$

0.93

 

$

0.48

 

Net income

 

$

0.33

 

$

0.14

 

$

0.93

 

$

0.48

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted income per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before cumulative effect of accounting change

 

$

0.29

 

$

0.12

 

$

0.81

 

$

0.43

 

Net income

 

$

0.29

 

$

0.12

 

$

0.82

 

$

0.43

 

 

Variable Annuity Research and Data Service

 

In January 2005, we acquired Variable Annuity Research and Data Service (VARDS) from Finetre Corporation for $8,192,000 in cash, including costs directly related to the acquisition. The results of VARDS’ operations have been included in our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements beginning in January 2005.

 

The following table summarizes the allocation of the purchase price to the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of the acquisition:

 

 

 

($000)

 

Accounts receivable

 

$

639

 

Other assets

 

57

 

Intangible assets

 

6,370

 

Goodwill

 

3,084

 

Liabilities, primarily deferred revenue

 

(1,958

)

Total purchase price

 

$

8,192

 

 

The acquired intangible assets include $5,700,000 of customer-related assets, consisting primarily of acquired customer contracts; $430,000 for technology-based assets, consisting of a database and developed software; and $240,000 related to supplier relationships. Both the acquired intangible assets and the acquired goodwill are deductible for U.S. income tax purposes.

 

Goodwill

 

The following table shows the changes in our goodwill balance from January 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006:

 

 

 

($000)

 

Balance as of January 1, 2005

 

$

14,408

 

Goodwill acquired related to VARDS

 

3,084

 

Other, primarily currency translation adjustment

 

8

 

Balance as of December 31, 2005

 

$

17,500

 

Goodwill acquired related to Ibbotson

 

47,009

 

Goodwill acquired related to Aspect Huntley

 

13,926

 

Goodwill acquired related to the database division of InvestorForce

 

6,121

 

Other, primarily currency translation adjustment

 

(14

)

Balance as of September 30, 2006

 

$

84,542

 

 

We did not record any impairment losses in the quarter or year-to-date periods ended September 30, 2006 or 2005, respectively.

 

 

10



 

Intangible Assets

 

We amortize intangible assets using the straight-line method over their expected economic useful lives. The following table summarizes our intangible assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of September 30, 2006

 

As of December 31, 2005

 

($000)

 

Gross

 

Accumulated
Amortization

 

Net

 

Weighted
Average
Useful Life
(years)

 

Gross

 

Accumulated
Amortization

 

Net

 

Weighted
Average
Useful Life
(years)

 

Intellectual property

 

$

27,456

 

$

(1,747

)

$

25,709

 

10

 

$

1,132

 

$

(405

)

$

727

 

7

 

Customer-related assets

 

43,272

 

(3,166

)

40,106

 

10

 

6,571

 

(597

)

5,974

 

18

 

Supplier relationships

 

240

 

(22

)

218

 

20

 

240

 

(12

)

228

 

20

 

Technology-based assets

 

12,329

 

(798

)

11,531

 

12

 

430

 

(108

)

322

 

4

 

Non-competition agreement

 

350

 

(38

)

312

 

5

 

 

 

 

 

Total intangible assets

 

$

83,647

 

$

(5,771

)

$

77,876

 

10

 

$

8,373

 

$

(1,122

)

$

7,251

 

16

 

 

Amortization expense was $2,199,000 and $172,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005, respectively, and $4,653,000 and $518,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005, respectively.

 

As of September 30, 2006, we estimate that aggregate amortization expense for intangible assets will be $7,066,000 in 2006; $9,652,000 in 2007; $9,578,000 in 2008; $9,232,000 in 2009; $8,300,000 in 2010; and $7,624,000 in 2011.

 

4. Income Per Share

 

The numerator for both basic and diluted income per share is net income. The denominator for basic income per share is the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. The dilutive effect of outstanding employee stock options and restricted stock units is reflected in the denominator for diluted income per share using the treasury stock method.

 

The following table shows how we reconcile the net income and the number of shares used in computing basic and diluted income per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended September 30

 

Nine Months Ended September 30

 

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

 

2006

 

2005

 

2006

 

2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic income per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before cumulative effect of accounting change

 

$

13,547

 

$

7,519

 

$

37,892

 

$

21,024

 

Cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax

 

 

 

259

 

 

Net income

 

$

13,547

 

$

7,519

 

$

38,151

 

$

21,024

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding

 

41,448

 

39,922

 

40,913

 

39,151

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before cumulative effect of accounting change

 

$

0.33

 

$

0.19

 

$

0.93

 

$

0.54

 

Cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

0.33

 

$

0.19

 

$

0.93

 

$

0.54

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted income per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before cumulative effect of accounting change

 

$

13,547

 

$

7,519

 

$

37,892

 

$

21,024

 

Cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax

 

 

 

259

 

 

Net income

 

$

13,547

 

$

7,519

 

$

38,151

 

$

21,024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding

 

41,448

 

39,922

 

40,913

 

39,151

 

Net effect of dilutive stock options and restricted stock units

 

5,130

 

5,432

 

5,685

 

4,788

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding for computing diluted income per share

 

46,578

 

45,354

 

46,598

 

43,939

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before cumulative effect of accounting change

 

$

0.29

 

$

0.17

 

$

0.81

 

$

0.48

 

Cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax

 

 

 

0.01

 

 

Net income

 

$

0.29

 

$

0.17

 

$

0.82

 

$

0.48

 

 

 

11



 

5. Segment and Geographical Area Information

 

We organize our operations based on products and services sold in three primary business segments: Individual, Advisor, and Institutional.

 

                  Individual segment. Our Individual segment focuses on products and services for individual investors. The largest product in this segment is our U.S.-based Web site, Morningstar.com, which includes both paid Premium Membership service and sales of advertising space. Our Individual segment also includes Morningstar Equity Research, which we distribute through several channels. Investors can access our equity research through our Premium Membership offering on Morningstar.com. In addition, our equity research is currently distributed through six major investment banks to meet the requirements for independent research under the Global Analyst Research Settlement, as well as to several other companies who provide our research to their affiliated financial advisors or to individual investors. We also offer a variety of print publications on stocks and mutual funds, including our monthly newsletters, Morningstar FundInvestor and Morningstar StockInvestor, and our twice-monthly publication, Morningstar Mutual Funds. We sell several annual reference guides, including the Morningstar Funds 500, the Morningstar Stocks 500, the Morningstar ETFs 100, and the Stocks, Bonds, Bills, and Inflation Yearbook.  Following our acquisition of Aspect Huntley in July 2006, this segment also includes several newsletters and other publications for investors in Australia.

 

                  Advisor segment. Our Advisor segment focuses on products and services for financial advisors. Key products in this segment are Morningstar Advisor Workstation and Principia. Advisor Workstation is a Web-based investment planning system that provides financial advisors with a comprehensive set of tools for conducting their core business — including investment research, planning, and presentation tools. Advisor Workstation is available in two editions: the Office Edition for independent financial advisors and the Enterprise Edition for financial advisors affiliated with larger firms. Principia is our CD-ROM-based investment research and planning software for financial planners. In addition, we offer Morningstar Managed Portfolios, a fee-based discretionary asset management service that includes a series of mutual fund and exchange-traded fund portfolios tailored to meet a range of investment time horizons and risk levels that financial advisors can use for their clients’ taxable and tax-deferred accounts. Through our acquisition of Ibbotson, we offer a series of NASD-reviewed Financial Communications materials that advisors can use to educate clients about asset allocation and demonstrate other key investment concepts, as well as data and graphs that financial advisors can license to use in published materials. Following our acquisition of Aspect Huntley, this segment also includes software that we sell to financial planners and other market participants in Australia as well as investment conferences.

 

                  Institutional segment. Our Institutional segment focuses on products and services for institutions, including banks, insurance companies, mutual fund companies, brokerage firms, media outlets, and retirement plan providers and sponsors. Key products and services in this segment include Investment Consulting, which focuses on investment monitoring and asset allocation for funds of funds, including mutual funds and variable annuities; Licensed Data, a set of investment data spanning eight core databases, available through electronic data feeds; Retirement Advice, including the Morningstar Retirement Manager and Advice by Ibbotson platforms; Morningstar Direct, a Web-based institutional research platform that provides advanced research and tools on the complete range of securities in Morningstar’s global database; Licensed Tools and Content, a set of online tools and editorial content designed for institutions to use in their Web sites and software; Investment Profiles & Guides, which are designed for institutions to use in communicating investment information to individual investors; the Morningstar Research Annuity Center (formerly VARDS Online); and EnCorr, an asset allocation software package (acquired with Ibbotson). Following our acquisition of Aspect Huntley, this segment now includes financial information and other data on Australian stocks. The Institutional segment also includes the hedge fund and separate account database division we acquired from InvestorForce in August 2006.

 

We measure the operating results of these segments based on operating income (loss), including an allocation of corporate costs. We include intersegment revenue and expenses in segment information. We sell services and products between segments at predetermined rates primarily based on cost. The recovery of intersegment cost is shown as “Intersegment revenue.”

 

In the first quarter of 2006, we changed our segment reporting by allocating stock-based compensation expense to each of our three business segments; before 2006, stock-based compensation expense was recorded as a corporate item. We believe this change gives our chief operating decision maker a more complete picture of the profitability of each business segment. The 2005 financial results for each segment have been reclassified to reflect this change.

 

Our segment accounting policies are the same as those described in Note 2 to our Consolidated Financial Statements as of December 31, 2005 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, except for the capitalization and amortization of internal product development costs and amortization of intangible assets. We exclude these items from our operating segment results to provide our chief operating decision maker with a better indication of each segment’s ability to generate cash flow. This information is one of the criteria used by our chief operating decision maker in determining how to allocate resources to each segment. We include the capitalization and amortization of internal product development costs, the amortization of intangible assets, and the elimination of intersegment revenue and expense in the Corporate Items and Eliminations category to arrive at the consolidated financial information. Our segment disclosures include the business segment information provided to our chief operating decision maker on a recurring basis, and, therefore, we do not present balance sheet information, including goodwill or other intangibles, by

 

 

12



 

segment.

 

The following tables show selected segment data for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three months ended September 30, 2006

 

($000)

 

Individual

 

Advisor

 

Institutional

 

Corporate Items & Eliminations

 

Total

 

Revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

External customers

 

$

19,515

 

$

24,367

 

$

37,939

 

$

 

$

81,821

 

Intersegment

 

874

 

30

 

630

 

(1,534

)

 

Total revenue

 

20,389

 

24,397

 

38,569

 

(1,534

)

81,821

 

Operating expense, excluding stock-based compensation expense, depreciation, and amortization

 

13,976

 

15,545

 

27,288

 

(2,050

)

54,759

 

Stock-based compensation expense

 

555

 

716

 

987

 

 

2,258

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

349

 

417

 

633

 

2,868

 

4,267

 

Operating income (loss)

 

$

5,509

 

$

7,719

 

$

9,661

 

$

(2,352

)

$

20,537

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures

 

$

117

 

$

98

 

$

307

 

$

331

 

$

853

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. revenue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

69,517

 

Non-U.S. revenue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

12,304

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three months ended September 30, 2005

 

($000)

 

Individual

 

Advisor

 

Institutional

 

Corporate Items & Eliminations

 

Total

 

Revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

External customers

 

$

14,808

 

$

18,593

 

$

23,526

 

$

 

$

56,927

 

Intersegment

 

681

 

 

537

 

(1,218

)

 

Total revenue

 

15,489

 

18,593

 

24,063

 

(1,218

)

56,927

 

Operating expense, excluding stock-based compensation expense, depreciation, and amortization

 

11,034

 

13,461

 

17,086

 

(1,253

)

40,328

 

Stock-based compensation expense

 

606

 

624

 

800

 

 

2,030

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

301

 

394

 

551

 

976

 

2,222

 

Operating income (loss)

 

$

3,548

 

$

4,114

 

$

5,626

 

$

(941

)

$

12,347

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures

 

$

57

 

$

148

 

$

342

 

$

751

 

$

1,298

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. revenue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

49,391

 

Non-U.S. revenue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

7,536

 

 

 

13



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nine months ended September 30, 2006

 

($000)

 

Individual

 

Advisor

 

Institutional

 

Corporate Items
& Eliminations

 

Total

 

Revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

External customers

 

$

56,232

 

$

70,435

 

$

101,471

 

$

 

$

228,138

 

Intersegment

 

2,660

 

33

 

1,966

 

(4.659

)

 

Total revenue

 

58,892

 

70,468

 

103,437

 

(4,659

)

228,138

 

Operating expense, excluding stock-based compensation expense, depreciation, and amortization

 

39,001

 

47,102

 

73,487

 

(5,357

)

154,233

 

Stock-based compensation expense

 

1,738

 

1,920

 

2,613

 

 

6,271

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

860

 

1,250

 

1,663

 

6,667

 

10,440

 

Operating income (loss)

 

$

17,293

 

$

20,196

 

$

25,674

 

$

(5,969

)

$

57,194

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures

 

$

237

 

$

278

 

$

967

 

$

1,394

 

$

2,876

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. revenue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

197,879

 

Non-U.S. revenue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

30,259

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sept. 30, 2006

 

U.S. long-lived assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

11,955

 

Non-U.S. long-lived assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

4,147

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nine months ended September 30, 2005

 

($000)

 

Individual

 

Advisor

 

Institutional

 

Corporate Items & Eliminations

 

Total

 

Revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

External customers

 

$

44,696

 

$

53,868

 

$

67,810

 

$

 

$

166,374

 

Intersegment

 

1,929

 

 

1,586

 

(3,515

)

 

Total revenue

 

46,625

 

53,868

 

69,396

 

(3,515

)

166,374

 

Operating expense, excluding stock-based compensation expense, depreciation, and amortization

 

32,476

 

39,151

 

50,799

 

(3,746

)

118,680

 

Stock-based compensation expense

 

2,750

 

2,668

 

3,437

 

 

8,855

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

876

 

1,113

 

1,513

 

2,968

 

6,470

 

Operating income (loss)

 

$

10,523

 

$

10,936

 

$

13,647

 

$

(2,737

)

$

32,369

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures

 

$

222

 

$

475

 

$

993

 

$

1,935

 

$

3,625

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. revenue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

144,739

 

Non-U.S. revenue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

21,635

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sept. 30, 2005

 

U.S. long-lived assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

13,200

 

Non-U.S. long-lived assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

1,931

 

 

6. Investments

 

We monitor the concentration, diversification, maturity, and liquidity of our investment portfolio, which is primarily invested in fixed-income securities. We classify our investment portfolio as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

($000)

 

September 30,
2006

 

December 31,
2005

 

Available for sale

 

$

50,564

 

$

58,761

 

Held to maturity

 

810

 

420

 

Trading securities

 

1,695

 

1,642

 

Total

 

$

53,069

 

$

60,823

 

 

 

14



 

7. Investments In Unconsolidated Entities

 

Morningstar Japan K.K.  In April 1998, we entered into an agreement with Softbank Corporation to form a joint venture, Morningstar Japan K.K. (MJKK), which develops and markets products and services customized for the Japanese market. In June 2000, MJKK became a public company, and its shares are traded on the Osaka Stock Exchange, “Hercules Market,” using the ticker number 4765. Subsequent to MJKK’s initial public offering, the joint venture agreement between us and Softbank Corporation was terminated, but we continued to hold shares of MJKK stock. As of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005, we owned approximately 35% of MJKK. We account for our investment in MJKK using the equity method. Our investment in MJKK totaled $16,566,000 and $14,884,000 as of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005, respectively. MJKK’s market value was approximately Japanese Yen 29.5 billion (approximately U.S. $250,263,000) as of September 30, 2006 and Japanese Yen 27.8 billion (approximately U.S. $235,625,000) as of December 31, 2005.

 

In the third quarter of 2006, MJKK recorded a gain related to the sale of shares in a subsidiary’s initial public offering. Our share of the pre-tax gain was approximately $990,000.

 

Morningstar Korea, Ltd. In June 2000, we entered into a joint venture agreement with Shinheung Securities Co., Ltd. and SOFTBANK Finance Corporation to establish a Korean limited liability company Morningstar Korea Ltd. (Morningstar Korea). Morningstar Korea develops, markets, and sells products and services to assist in the analysis of financial portfolios and provides financial information and services for investors in South Korea. Our ownership interest and profit and loss sharing interest in Morningstar Korea was 40% as of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005. We account for this investment using the equity method. Our investment totaled $1,270,000 and $1,129,000 as of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005, respectively.

 

Other Investments in Unconsolidated Entities. As of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005, the book value of our other investments in unconsolidated entities totaled $382,000 and $342,000, respectively, and consist primarily of our investments in Morningstar Danmark A/S (Morningstar Denmark) and Morningstar Sweden AB (Morningstar Sweden). In August 2001, we entered into a joint venture agreement with Phosphorus A/S to establish Morningstar Denmark, which develops and markets products and services customized for the Danish market. In April 2001, we entered into a joint venture agreement with Stadsporten Citygate AB to establish Morningstar Sweden, which develops and markets products and services customized for the Swedish market. Our ownership interest in both Morningstar Denmark and Morningstar Sweden was approximately 25% as of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005. We account for our investments in Morningstar Denmark and Morningstar Sweden using the equity method.

 

The following table shows condensed combined unaudited financial information for our investments in unconsolidated entities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three months ended September 30

 

Nine months ended September 30

 

($000)

 

2006

 

2005

 

2006

 

2005

 

Revenue

 

$

4,201

 

$

3,417

 

$

13,921

 

$

10,421

 

Operating income

 

$

951

 

$

554

 

$

3,836

 

$

2,037

 

Net income

 

$

2,954

 

$

339

 

$

6,073

 

$

2,034

 

 

8. Stock-Based Compensation

 

Stock-Based Compensation Plans

 

Prior to November 2004, we granted stock options under various plans including the 1993 Stock Option Plan (the 1993 Plan), the 2000 Morningstar Stock Option Plan (the 2000 Plan), and the 2001 Morningstar Stock Option Plan (the 2001 Plan). In general, options granted under the 1993 Plan vest ratably over a five-year period and options granted under the 2000 Plan and the 2001 Plan vest ratably over a four-year period; options under all three plans expire 10 years after the date of grant.

 

In November 2004, we adopted the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan. The 2004 Stock Incentive Plan amends and restates the 1993 Plan, the 2000 Plan, and the 2001 Plan (collectively, the Prior Plans). Under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan, we will not grant any additional

options under any of the Prior Plans, and any shares subject to an award under any of the Prior Plans that are forfeited, canceled, settled, or otherwise terminated without a distribution of shares, or withheld by us in connection with the exercise of options or in payment of any required income tax withholding, will not be available for awards under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan. The 2004 Stock Incentive Plan provides for grants of options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, and performance shares. All of our employees are eligible for awards under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan. Our non-employee directors are also eligible for awards under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan. Joe Mansueto, our chairman and chief executive officer, does not participate in the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan or the Prior Plans.

 

Since the adoption of the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan, we have granted stock options and, beginning in 2006, restricted stock units. Stock options granted under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan generally vest ratably over a four-year period and expire 10 years after the date of grant. Almost all of the options granted under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan have a premium feature in which the exercise

 

 

15



 

price increases over the term of the option at a rate equal to the 10-year Treasury bond yield as of the date of grant. Restricted stock units represent the right to receive a share of Morningstar common stock when that unit vests. Restricted stock units granted under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan generally vest ratably over a four-year period. The number of shares available for future grants under our 2004 Stock Incentive Plan as of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005 was 2,829,046 and 2,989,322, respectively.

 

In February 1999, we entered into an Incentive Stock Option Agreement and a Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement under the 1999 Incentive Stock Option Plan (the 1999 Plan) with Don Phillips, an officer of Morningstar. Under these agreements, we granted Don options to purchase 1,500,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.77 per share, equal to the fair value at the grant date. These options are fully vested and expire in February 2009. On the date of grant, 1,138,560 options were fully exercisable and an additional 36,144 were scheduled to become exercisable each year from 1999 through 2008. As of September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005, there were 789,174 and 869,174 options remaining to be exercised, respectively.

 

Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation Awards

 

Effective January 1, 2006, we adopted SFAS No. 123 (Revised 2004), Share-Based Payment (SFAS No. 123(R)), using the modified prospective transition method. Prior to this date, we accounted for our equity plans in accordance with the fair value provisions of SFAS No. 123, Stock-Based Compensation (SFAS No. 123). Under SFAS No. 123, we accounted for forfeitures of stock options as they occurred. SFAS No. 123(R) requires us to estimate expected forfeitures at the grant date and recognize compensation cost only for those awards expected to vest. Accordingly, in the first quarter of 2006, we recorded a cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax, of $259,000 to reverse the impact of stock-based compensation expense recorded in prior years related to outstanding stock options that we estimate will not vest. Other than recording this cumulative effect of accounting change, the adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) did not have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations because we previously recognized stock-based compensation expense in accordance with SFAS No. 123.

 

Prior to our adoption of SFAS 123(R), we presented the tax benefit of deductions arising from the exercise of stock options as operating cash flows in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. SFAS No. 123(R) requires that we classify the cash flows resulting from the tax benefit that arises when the tax deductions exceed the compensation cost recognized for those options (excess tax benefits) as financing cash flows. The excess tax benefits classified as financing cash flows were $8,820,000 in the first nine months of 2006; the excess tax benefits classified as operating cash flows were $1,117,000 in the first nine months of 2005.

 

Prior to our initial public offering in May 2005, we accounted for stock options granted under the 1993 Plan and the 1999 Plan using the liability method in accordance with SFAS No. 123 because these plans allowed for cash settlement at the option holder’s election, subject to certain conditions. Under the liability method, we accounted for options as a liability that was measured each period using the fair value per share of our common stock. We recorded changes in the liability, resulting from changes in the fair value of our common stock, in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. As a result of our initial public offering, we are no longer required to settle options under the 1993 Plan and the 1999 Plan in cash. Upon our initial public offering, we valued the liability using a fair value of $18.50 per share, which was equivalent to the fair value of our common stock at the time of our initial public offering. We reclassified stock options accounted for as current liabilities of $16,707,000 and long-term liabilities of $24,882,000 to additional paid-in capital. In addition, because all of the options previously accounted for under the liability method were fully vested by March 31, 2005, we have not recorded any additional expense for these options in subsequent periods.

 

Stock-Based Compensation Expense

 

The following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense (including expense for both stock options and restricted stock units) recorded in our Consolidated Statements of Operations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three months ended September 30

 

Nine months ended September 30

 

($000)

 

2006

 

2005

 

2006

 

2005

 

Stock-based compensation expense under the liability method

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

2,810

 

Stock-based compensation expense under the equity method

 

2,258

 

2,030

 

6,271

 

6,045

 

Total stock-based compensation expense

 

$

2,258

 

$

2,030

 

$

6,271

 

$

8,855

 

 

The deferred tax benefit related to the stock-based compensation expense above was $831,000 and $742,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005, respectively, and $2,221,000 and $2,201,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005, respectively.

 

We estimate forfeitures of all employee stock-based awards and recognize compensation cost only for those awards expected to vest. We determine forfeiture rates based on historical experience. Estimated forfeitures are adjusted to actual forfeiture experience as needed.

 

 

16



 

Restricted Stock Units

 

We measure the fair value of our restricted stock units on the date of grant based on the market price of the underlying common stock as of the close of trading on the day prior to grant. We amortize that value to stock-based compensation expense, net of estimated forfeitures, ratably over the vesting period. We granted restricted stock units for the first time in May 2006. The total grant date fair value of restricted stock units granted through September 30, 2006 was approximately $11,351,000.

 

The following table summarizes restricted stock unit activity in the first nine months of 2006:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nine months ended September 30, 2006

 

Restricted Stock Units

 

Shares

 

Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value

 

Nonvested shares—January 1, 2006

 

 

 

Granted

 

259,223

 

$

43.79

 

Vested

 

 

 

Forfeited

 

(16,985

)

$

42.67

 

Nonvested shares—September 30, 2006

 

242,238

 

$

43.86

 

 

As of September 30, 2006, the total amount of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to restricted stock units was approximately $8,215,000, which is expected to be recognized over an average period of approximately 44 months.

 

Stock Option Fair Value

 

We measure the fair value of our stock options on the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model and amortize that value to stock-based compensation expense ratably over the option’s vesting period. The weighted average fair value of options granted during the first nine months of 2006 and 2005 using this model was $14.16 per share and $9.62 per share, respectively. We estimated the fair value of the options granted in the first nine months of 2006 and 2005 on the date of grant using the following weighted average assumptions:

 

 

 

2006

 

2005

 

Expected life (years)

 

6.25

 

7.0

 

Expected volatility (%)

 

43.0

%

50.0

%

Dividend yield (%)

 

 

 

Interest rate (%)

 

4.33

%

4.04

%

Expected exercise price

 

$

45.31

 

$

26.20

 

 

Expected life. The expected life represents the period over which the stock options are expected to be outstanding. Because we have limited historical information regarding stock option exercises since becoming a public company in May 2005, we have determined the expected life using the “shortcut method” described in Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 14.D.2, which is based on a calculation to arrive at the midpoint between the vesting date and the end of the contractual term.

 

Expected volatility. The volatility factor used in our assumptions is based on an average of the historical stock prices of a group of our peers over the most recent period commensurate with the expected life of the stock option award. As a recently public company with limited historical data on the price of our stock, we do not base our volatility assumption on our own stock price.

 

Dividend yield. We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, we used a dividend yield of zero in our assumptions.

 

Interest rate. We based the risk-free interest rate used in our assumptions on the implied yield available on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with a remaining term that approximates the stock option award’s expected life.

 

Expected exercise price. Options granted in 2006 have initial exercise prices that will increase over the term of the options at a rate equal to the 10-year Treasury bond rate as of the date of grant. The expected exercise price included in the option pricing models for these options was calculated using an estimated life of 6.25 years and the applicable 10-year Treasury bond rate.

 

 

17



 

Stock Option Activity

 

The following tables summarize stock option activity for our various stock option grants. The first table includes activity for options granted at an exercise price below the fair value per share of our common stock on the grant date; the second table includes activity for all other option grants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nine months ended September 30, 2006

 

Options Granted At an Exercise Price Below the Fair Value Per Share on the Grant Date

 

Underlying
Shares

 

Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price

 

Options outstanding—January 1, 2006

 

3,338,959

 

$

10.50

 

Canceled

 

(64,464

)

15.26

 

Exercised

 

(171,643

)

9.34

 

Options outstanding—September 30, 2006

 

3,102,852

 

$

10.68

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options exercisable—September 30, 2006

 

2,307,127

 

$

9.32

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nine months ended September 30, 2006

 

All Other Option Grants, Excluding Activity Shown Above

 

Underlying
Shares

 

Weighted Average
Exercise
Price

 

Options outstanding—January 1, 2006

 

7,795,848

 

$

11.96

 

Canceled

 

(76,977

)

21.33

 

Exercised

 

(1,158,069

)

10.03

 

Granted

 

46,451

 

34.64

 

Options outstanding—September 30, 2006

 

6,607,253

 

$

12.44

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options exercisable—September 30, 2006

 

5,643,264

 

$

11.34

 

 

The total intrinsic value (difference between the market value of our stock on the date of exercise and the exercise price of the option) of options exercised in the nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2005 was $41,717,000 and $7,044,000, respectively.

 

Stock Options Outstanding and Exercisable

 

The table below shows additional information for options outstanding and options exercisable as of September 30, 2006:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options Outstanding

 

Options Exercisable

 

Range of Exercise Prices

 

Outstanding
Shares

 

Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (years)

 

Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price

 

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
($000)

 

Exercisable
Shares

 

Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (years)

 

Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price

 

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
($000)

 

$2.00 - $2.77

 

1,981,108

 

1.95

 

$

2.54

 

$

68,073

 

1,901,247

 

1.93

 

$

2.53

 

$

65,342

 

$8.57 - $14.70

 

5,391,367

 

4.28

 

12.58

 

131,109

 

5,213,123

 

4.20

 

12.72

 

126,065

 

$15.88 - $35.78

 

2,337,630

 

8.37

 

18.18

 

43,757

 

836,021

 

8.29

 

17.17

 

16,494

 

$2.00 - $35.78

 

9,710,105

 

4.79

 

$

11.88

 

$

242,939

 

7,950,391

 

4.09

 

$

10.75

 

$

207,901

 

Vested or Expected to Vest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$2.00 - $35.78