Morningstar (MORN) Cash Flow: Operating & Free Cash Flow

Morningstar (MORN) Cash Flow Statement

In fiscal 2025 (fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2025), Morningstar generated $589.70M of operating cash flow and spent $147.10M on capital expenditures. That left free cash flow of $442.60M, down 1.4% from $448.90M a year earlier, or 18.1% of revenue. It returned $863.90M to shareholders through $76.90M in dividends and $787.00M in share buybacks.

Morningstar Cash Flow Statement Analysis

Values in millions USD

Income Statement Balance Sheet Cash Flow Ratios

Scale:

Scroll to see more

Cash flow statement showing operating, investing, and financing activities for Morningstar, Inc. (MORN) - Annual data in millions USD
Breakdown	FY 2025	FY 2024	FY 2023	FY 2022	FY 2021	FY 2020	FY 2019	FY 2018	FY 2017
Period ending	Dec 2025	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020	Dec 2019	Dec 2018	Dec 2017
Operating Activities
Net Income	374.20	369.90	141.10	70.50	193.30	223.60	152.00	183.00	136.90
Depreciation & Amortization	189.90	190.40	184.90	166.60	150.70	139.50	117.70	96.70	91.20
Deferred Income Tax	-42.20	-34.80	-32.40	-37.30	-12.10	-6.70	-6.00	-1.10	-14.10
Stock Based Compensation	56.40	54.70	52.80	83.20	41.90	36.60	44.40	31.70	24.10
Change in Working Capital	28.90	92.80	28.10	-12.00	63.60	38.90	41.50	18.50	23.30
Change in Accounts Receivable	-26.00	-30.30	-38.20	-38.60	-67.90	-9.20	11.30	-29.60	-1.20
Change in Inventory	0.00	0.00	0.00	2.00	-7.10	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Change in Accounts Payable	1.10	9.60	-1.50	-2.00	7.10	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Change in Other Working Capital	-3.20	-16.60	67.80	-12.80	131.50	48.10	30.20	48.10	24.50
Other Operating Activities	-3.20	-116.20	-58.10	-10.50	12.50	-47.60	-15.20	-14.00	-11.30
Net Cash from Operating Activities	589.70	591.60	316.40	297.80	449.90	384.30	334.40	314.80	250.10
Investing Activities
Capital Expenditures	-147.10	-142.70	-119.10	-129.50	-101.80	-76.70	-80.00	-76.10	-66.60
Acquisitions	-43.10	-7.30	-0.80	-646.70	-54.60	-39.30	-664.30	18.00	22.70
Purchases of Investments	-22.20	-23.30	-3.70	-65.90	-100.90	-56.40	-37.70	-43.10	-59.70
Sales/Maturities of Investments	45.50	27.10	31.10	43.00	58.80	46.90	35.80	51.20	42.20
Other Investing Activities	27.60	65.20	10.60	-0.20	30.80	1.70	-0.10	0.10	0.60
Net Cash from Investing Activities	-139.30	-21.30	-81.90	-799.30	-167.70	-123.80	-746.30	-49.90	-60.80
Financing Activities
Debt Repayment	-800.00	-259.40	-137.50	-19.10	-90.00	-63.40	444.40	-110.00	-70.00
Common Stock Issued	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.20	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Common Stock Repurchased	-787.00	-40.70	-1.40	-255.90	-1.30	-41.90	-4.90	-20.90	-42.30
Dividends Paid	-76.90	-69.30	-63.90	-61.50	-54.20	-51.40	-47.80	-42.60	-39.30
Other Financing Activities	-25.80	-3.00	-75.60	-18.40	-66.50	-25.50	-18.00	-15.30	-5.90
Net Cash from Financing Activities	-514.70	-384.40	-278.40	415.10	-211.80	-182.20	373.70	-188.80	-157.50
Summary
Effect of Forex Changes on Cash	36.10	-21.10	5.20	-20.80	-9.10	10.10	3.00	-15.00	17.30
Net Change in Cash	-28.20	164.80	-38.70	-107.20	61.30	88.40	-35.20	61.10	49.10
Cash at Beginning of Period	502.70	337.90	376.60	483.80	422.50	334.10	369.30	308.20	259.10
Cash at End of Period	474.50	502.70	337.90	376.60	483.80	422.50	334.10	369.30	308.20
Free Cash Flow	442.60	448.90	197.30	168.30	348.10	307.60	254.40	238.70	183.50
Supplemental Disclosures
Interest Paid	37.30	47.40	58.40	28.40	10.40	-	-	-	-
Income Taxes Paid	171.80	115.60	73.20	75.30	80.90	-	-	-	-

Source: Company financial statements from annual and quarterly filings. Data as of Jun 30, 2026. Data sources and methodology

Frequently Asked Questions About Morningstar Cash Flow

What is Morningstar's free cash flow?

Morningstar generated free cash flow of $442.60M in fiscal 2025 (fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2025), operating cash flow of $589.70M minus $147.10M of capital expenditures. That was down 1.4% from $448.90M a year earlier. Free cash flow equaled 18.1% of revenue.

How much does Morningstar spend on capital expenditures?

Morningstar spent $147.10M on capital expenditures in fiscal 2025, compared with $142.70M a year earlier. That equals 24.9% of operating cash flow.

Does Morningstar pay dividends or buy back shares?

Yes. In fiscal 2025 Morningstar returned $76.90M in dividends and $787.00M in share buybacks to shareholders, according to its cash flow statement.

What is free cash flow?

Free cash flow is operating cash flow minus capital expenditures. It is the cash a company has left for dividends, buybacks, debt repayment or acquisitions after funding its operations and investment. Full definition