aimed at helping financial advisors utilize Morningstar's investment research and other tools to identify and select investments, monitor investment performance, and inform how they communicate with clients. Influence and criticisms Morningstar is considered powerful in the investment management industry, and the firm's ratings and recommendations often influence a fund's assets under management. The firm's "star" ratings are often used by fund managers in marketing materials, and positive star ratings bring a credibility to a fund's strategy. Morningstar's analysts and data are frequently quoted in outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Financial Times. In October 2017, the Wall Street Journal published a front-page feature story criticizing Morningstar's influence and questioned the predictive power of the firm's rating system. In response, Morningstar provided a quantitative analysis showing that higher-rated funds outperform lower-rated funds, but cautioned against using the ratings as a definitive marker of future performance. Corporate identity Morningstar's current logo was designed by the famed graphic designer Paul Rand. The design features the "o" in Morningstar appearing as a rising sun, which is a nod to a Henry David Thoreau quote that inspired the company's name. Mansueto considers the logo "one of our most valuable assets". Major offices The firm is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with major regional offices in New York City, London, Paris, Sydney, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and other cities around the world. See also American Association of Individual Investors Bloomberg L.P. Nationally recognized statistical rating organization Reuters Value Line References External links Investor Relations Understanding the Star Rating and Fund Analyst Picks (from www.morningstar.com) 1984 establishments in Illinois 2005 initial public offerings American companies established in 1984 Companies based in Chicago Companies listed on the Nasdaq Credit rating agencies Financial data vendors Financial services companies established in 1984 Research and analysis firms of the United States