Fantastic Medalist Rating Data Points and Where to Find Them

The Morningstar Medalist Rating comes in two flavors: human analyst-assigned and algorithmic. Our manager research analysts focus on the largest and most relevant strategies, while the quantitative version extends their tried-and-true evaluation approach across hundreds of thousands of share classes globally. Until now, it has been hard to see what has been driving the algorithmic rating’s pillar scores, but no longer.

Morningstar now makes its inputs available in Morningstar Direct for users to pull, sort, screen, and analyze on their own. This is the first in a series of articles introducing those data points, which are available for every fund, whether analyst-rated or algorithmically rated.

The rest of this series works through two pillars in depth. First, the lay of the land. The table below lists every input by pillar, along with its units, the level to which it applies (a strategy, a portfolio manager, or a parent firm), and how to read it.

Most of those data points come in two forms: a raw value and a percentile rank relative to peers. But the peer group changes from one data point to the next. Manager Information Ratio is ranked within a fund’s Morningstar Category. 

Fund Manager Successful Experience is ranked more broadly, within its category region (such as US-domiciled) and asset class (such as fixed income). The brand-level measures, retention, tenure, and brand information ratio, are ranked against every other firm in the world. Match a number to its comparison group, or the reading is misleading.

These data points are grounded in Morningstar’s research. Morningstar’s People-centric scores connect with fund outcomes, which you can read about here. The Parent Pillar’s data points, discussed here, reflect how a firm treats the people and the money in its care.

A medal tells you what Morningstar concluded. These fields can help you understand why and let you decide whether you agree.

Explore the data points that drive Morningstar’s algorithmic People, Process, and Parent pillars in Morningstar Direct. Pull, screen, and analyze the rating to deepen your fund research.