Morningstar Runs the Numbers

Inspired by Harper's Index (with a tip of the hat to FiveThirtyEight's Significant Digits blog), Morningstar Runs the Numbers uses a numbers-based approach to highlight recent Morningstar research, along with some outside news stories.

1 star

"The firm continues to burn cash at a faster pace with a free cash flow loss of over $1 billion in the first half of 2017 versus a loss of over $500 million in the first half of 2016. Despite the beat on subscribers, our long-term thesis for the stock remains in place. Thus, we are retaining our narrow moat rating and our $73 fair value estimate."

3 Retailers have been in the dumps lately. In this video, senior equity analyst Bridget Weishaar lists three factors that have been weighing on performance in the sector, and names a few picks she sees as undervalued at current prices.

4 In our inaugural report evaluating health savings account plans, we looked at 10 of the largest through two separate lenses: as a spending vehicle to cover current medical costs, and as an investment vehicle to save for future medical expenses. In this article, senior analyst Leo Acheson takes an in-depth look at how we evaluated HSA plans' menu design, and points out four popular HSA plans that earning positive marks for offering exposure to core asset classes while limiting overlap among choices.

29 minutes Tesla entrepreneur Elon Musk tweeted this week that he received "verbal government approval" to build a Hyperloop transit system that runs underground, connecting New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. (More details in this TechCruch story.)

50%, 65%, 75% Associate director of equity manager research strategies Katie Reichart provided a midyear recap of what's been happening at Fidelity, including manager changes at the firm and fund performance in the first half of the year.

"Relative to peers, the funds are doing pretty well. When you look at diversified U.S. equity funds, about half of those were beating peers in the first half of 2017. For international equity, it was two thirds, so even better. On the fixed-income side, about 65% of the funds were beating their peers and on the allocation side, about three fourths."

10 Senior manager research analyst Chris Davis says while funds overall have enjoyed gains, the funds hitting the highest notes this year have been growth funds with healthy exposure to the red-hot tech sector. But, as he reminds us, "Inevitably the cycle turns, and funds posting more modest results will have an opportunity to shine." He discusses 10 Morningstar Medalists that have been laggards this year, but are likely to excel in more favorable climates.

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