Zacks vs. Morningstar: What's the Difference? (2024)

Morningstar, Inc., (MORN) is known as being the financial industry's lead independent research company for mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Morningstar has also ventured into research reports for stocks, bonds, annuities, and even separately-managed accounts. Created in 1984 by Joe Mansueto, the Chicago-based company is now a publicly-traded company and employs 5,230 in 27 countries worldwide, as of 2020. The company provides data on 621,370 investment offerings.

Founder Len Zacks created Zacks Investment Research in 1978. The main focus of Zacks is to provide independent research in order to provide investors with a trading advantage. The company is run by a team of experts who are focused on quantitative analysis of equities, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Zacks Investment Research

Zacks Investment Research has its own mutual fund ranking system that helps its members distinguish which mutual funds have the most potential to outperform the market. In Sept. 2020, there were nearly 19,000 mutual funds that are tracked by Zacks. Zacks Mutual Fund Rank gives every fund a ranking on a one-to-five scale. A rating of one signifies what they consider a "strong buy" recommendation, and a rating of five suggests a "strong sell" recommendation.

Key Takeaways

  • Investors should consider Morningstar and Zacks when they are considering investing in a mutual fund or an exchange-traded fund (ETF), as they offer different analyst ratings and different opinions on the outlook of funds.
  • Zacks is much more quantitative in nature, while Morningstar uses fundamental analysis as a larger part of its recommendations.
  • Morningstar appears to base its recommendations on an unbiased scale, while the Zacks Investment Research rating system is based solely on giving its members the most potential for profit.

Zacks uses two different mutual fund ranking systems: one for U.S. stock-based funds and one for all other funds. The U.S. stock fund method uses the same ranking system as Zacks’ proprietary individual stock-rating system. It identifies the top holdings within each fund and uses that as its basis for determining the mutual fund ranking system. All other fund rankings are determined by a number of key factors that are proprietary to Zacks and its research team.

Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar Inc. is mostly known for its rating system that uses stars, rating funds on a one- to five-star scale. The top 10 percent of funds within each category receive five-star ratings, and the bottom 10 percent receive one-star ratings. Funds are rated on a three-year, a five-year, and a 10-year basis. Together, these three ratings are combined to give each fund an overall rating.

Morningstar uses a proprietary mathematical evaluation based on a fund’s past performance to determine its rankings within a category. Funds with track records of three years or less do not qualify for Morningstar's rating system. Morningstar's rating system does not reflect the opinions of the company. Rather, it is a comparison of a fund’s performance in relation to its peers within its category.

Morningstar also has analyst ratings for mutual funds that are based on a five-tier scale. The ratings are gold, silver, bronze, neutral, and negative. Unlike the star system, which is based on past performance, this rating system provides recommendations on a forward-looking basis. Analysts use five pillars when determining the rating of each fund: process, performance, people, parent, and price. A gold rating would signify that the fund prevails at all five pillars, while a negative rating would suggest the opposite.

Membership Packages

Morningstar offers two different membership packages. The basic package is free and only requires users to register through its website. Basic membership includes financial data access, the ability to connect your portfolio to Morningstar research, in addition to access to its article archive and their forums. Investors who wish to see their star ratings or information on a mutual fund or stock are also able to get it through the basic membership option.

Morningstar's premium membership is an option for individuals who want more in-depth research. This includes a wide moat screener for stocks, a gold medalist screener for funds, access to the analyst ratings and reports, a portfolio manager, and a premium e-newsletter. Premium membership has four different pricing options: one year for $199, two years for $349, three years for $449, and monthly for $29.95. As of Sept. 2020, Morningstar offers investors a 14-day trial membership for free.

Zacks, on the other hand, offers a variety of different membership options for investors. The basic membership plan is available for free. With a free membership, users gain access to Zacks e-newsletter, called Profit from the Pros, which is emailed each weekday morning and summarizes the market, what it means for investors and what to do next. The newsletter also includes links to articles featuring 5 newly added Zacks Rank #1 ("Strong Buy") stocks, Bull Stock of the Day, and ETF and mutual fund recommendations. Free membership also includes access to Zacks Portfolio Tracker, where investors can view Zacks Rank and Style Scores for all stocks, Zack's Mutual Fund Rank for mutual funds and ETF Rank for ETFs.

The next level of membership is called Zacks Premium. As of Sept. 2020, the company offers a free 30-day trial, and then a base price of $249 for a one-year subscription. With the premium membership, investors gain access to its list of funds that have a top-ranking (ranked #1). It also gives access to all of the company's research reports, rankings, and screening tools. Finally, users can also track their portfolios against the Zacks ratings and receive a daily email alert with pertinent news.

Zacks' most inclusive package is called the Ultimate subscription. To begin, users only pay $1 for a one-month trial (as of Sept. 2020). After the month expires, the subscription costs $299 per month or $2,995 per year. With this high cost, Zacks Ultimate members receive access to every single recommendation the firm has to offer, along with all the research tools and reports that are included in the premium package. Zacks offers several strategy recommendations, categorized according to time horizon, investing style, trades per month, and the number of stocks within the portfolio. For example, the “Home Run Investor” strategy looks to target under-the-radar stocks that have the potential to grow from 50 percent to 200 percent. If users do not want the costly Ultimate subscription, then each of the strategies is available at an individual price.

Zacks Investment Research vs. Morningstar

Morningstar and Zacks offer similar styles of investment reports for mutual funds. But they present the information in different ways.

Both contain performance numbers and basic fund information, such as fund size and manager information. Both show the top holdings within the fund: Morningstar shows the top 15 funds and Zacks shows the top nine funds.

From a financial data perspective, Morningstar typically provides more information. On the chart, Morningstar shows the performance of the previous 10 years based on an initial $10,000 investment. It also compares that same investment against the fund’s category and standard index. Beneath the chart, Morningstar displays the annual numbers for the net asset value (NAV), total return percentage, thecomparison to the standard and category index, the percentage rank within the category, and the number of funds.

The Zacks report chart shows the fund’s performance on a zero-sum scale while comparing it to the benchmark. Zacks also provides annual data on the NAV, total return, annual dividend yield, relative performance to the benchmark, quintile rank, fund assets, annual turnover, dividends paid, and capital gains paid.

While Morningstar provides its “Risk and Return Profile,” showing the three-, five-, and 10-year breakdowns of the Morningstar rating, standard deviation, mean, Sharpe ratio, alpha, beta, and r-square measures, Zacks only shows the three- and five-year measures.

Both reports show the stock sector breakdown, with Morningstar using an S&P sector weighting percentage and comparison to the benchmark. Zacks employs a more colorful pie chart of the stock sector breakdownbut does not compare it to the benchmark’s weightings. Both reports show the asset class breakdown and style analysis through its own methods. Morningstar goes a little more in-depth, using its style-box charting method to distinguish the stock and bond makeup within the fund.

Zacks provides a one-paragraph description of each fund, which describes the fund’s brief history and investment objective. The description also provides the dividend payment, and the capital gain frequency and schedule. Morningstar does not provide such information in its reports.

When comparing the rankings, the two providers can sometimes differ but are also often coming to the same conclusion, based on each company’s own process. For example, Morningstar downgraded T. Rowe Price New Horizons Fund's (PRNHX) Morningstar Analyst Rating to Bronze from Gold and placed the fund's Silver rating under review. The decision to downgrade was made after the fund announced a shift in management, with fund manager Henry Ellenbogen leaving at the end of March 2019. Ellenbogen was replaced by Joshua Spencer, who was formerly the manager of the much smaller T. Rowe Price Global Technology Fund (PRGTX). Upon making the change, Morningstar cited the fact that the new manager, Spencer, would be facing a big step-up in terms of fund universe and assets under management. At Zacks, the New Horizons Fund ranking did not change. The Zacks rating for T. Rowe Price New Horizons Fund (PRNHX) remained at one star, signifying a strong buy. In Zacks's February 2019 report on the fund, according to its nine-factor forecasting method, the small-cap growth fund was still a strong buy, even with the change in management, an example of a time in history when the two companies assessments of the same fund have diverged.

Zacks vs. Morningstar: What's the Difference? (2024)

FAQs

Which is better Zacks or Morningstar? ›

Zacks is much more quantitative in nature, while Morningstar uses fundamental analysis as a larger part of its recommendations. Morningstar appears to base its recommendations on an unbiased scale, while the Zacks Investment Research rating system is based solely on giving its members the most potential for profit.

How accurate are Zacks predictions? ›

Is Zacks com trustworthy? Yes, Zacks is trustworthy. The company boasts exceptional long-term returns using its quantitative system which are backed by data.

Is Morningstar data accurate? ›

The Bottom Line. Morningstar acknowledges its rating system is a quantitative measure of a fund's past performance that is not intended to accurately predict future performance. Instead, the company recommends investors use the rating system to evaluate a fund's track record compared to its peers.

What are Zacks #1 rank stocks? ›

The Zacks #1 Rank List is the best place to start your stock search each morning. It's made up of the top 5% of stocks with the most potential. Each weekday, you can quickly see the Zacks #1 Rank Top Movers from Value to Growth, Momentum and Income, even VGM Score.

Who is best stock advisor? ›

ABJ Finstocks is Best Investment Advisor, providing best stocks to invest for long term investment.

What is the average Zacks rank? ›

The Zacks Industry Rank is determined by calculating the average Zacks Rank for all of the stocks in the industry and then assigning an ordinal rank to it. For example, an industry with an average Zacks Rank of 1.6 is better than an industry with an average Zacks Rank of 2.3.

What is Zacks average target price? ›

The Zacks target price is the average of target price estimates received by covering sell-side analysts for each stock. Sometimes the Consensus Target Price is below the current price per share. This means that covering analysts expect the price to decrease, a bearish sign.

Does Zacks tell you when to sell? ›

Stock Monitoring

Know exactly when to buy, hold and sell the stocks in your portfolio with Zacks' free Portfolio Tracker. Daily email alerts will brief you on updated Zacks Rank and Style Scores, Earnings Estimate Revisions, Broker Recommendation Changes and more. You can also add your mutual fund and ETF positions.

Where does Zacks get its data? ›

Zacks data is accessible through our backtesting and production models, in addition to being available independently through raw data feeds as both history files and updates.

Is Morningstar credible source? ›

Morningstar is a respected and reliable source of independent investment analysis for all levels of fund and stock investors, ranging from inexperienced beginners to sophisticated experts.

Why is Morningstar so good? ›

Morningstar offers a comparative benchmark performance category. Subscribers have access to actionable analyst reports with over 2,000 funds, ETFs, and stocks. Mutual funds are allocated into specific investment categories and stocks. The platform also states the annual fees to own an ETF or mutual fund.

Is a 4 star Morningstar rating good? ›

A 4-star rating means the stock is moderately undervalued and trading at a slight discount relative to its fair value estimate. To unlock pre-built screens curated by our seasoned analysts, subscribe to Morningstar Investor.

How often is Zacks rank updated? ›

Price-related information, the Zacks Rank*, earnings estimates, average broker recommendations, and insider trading data is updated daily (after the market close). All other data is updated weekly (by Monday at 4:30 am).

Who uses Zacks? ›

Type of investor: Zacks is geared toward skilled investors, short-term traders, and professional investors.

Is Zacks rank 3 good? ›

Zacks #3 Rank Stocks Can Be Perfectly Acceptable

Growth and income investors, who also typically fall into the long-term investor camp, need to be careful when choosing to invest only in Zacks #1 Rank stocks.

Who gives best stock advice for free? ›

Zacks has built a reputation as a reliable source of stock data for investors looking for a stock picking edge, Zacks' free stock screener has almost everything investors need to make well-timed and informed stock picks. That's why Zacks is our choice as the best free option for a stock screener.

What is the Motley Fool's top 10 stocks? ›

The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon.com, Apple, Bank of America, Berkshire Hathaway, Bitcoin, Block, Etsy, FedEx, Intuitive Surgical, MercadoLibre, PayPal, Pinterest, Shopify, and Walt Disney.

Who is the best stock forecaster? ›

5 Top Websites for Stock Forecasts
  • TipRanks.
  • ValueInvesting.io.
  • Koyfin.
  • TheStreet.
  • Bloomberg.
Nov 13, 2022

How much does Zacks cost per year? ›

Gain full access to our powerful tools and resources locked behind Zacks Premium for 30 days absolutely free. Subscription: $249/year.

Is Apple a buy according to Zacks? ›

Apple currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.40 on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), calculated based on the actual recommendations (Buy, Hold, Sell etc.)

What is Zacks rank of #5? ›

The Zacks Rank is system that ranks over 4400 companies based on changes to analyst earnings estimates. The Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) is the highest, and best, rank. The Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell), is the worst rank. It is a computer algorithm that can change daily.

What is best stock price target? ›

BEST Inc (NYSE:BEST)

The 1 analysts offering 12-month price forecasts for BEST Inc have a median target of 12.43, with a high estimate of 12.43 and a low estimate of 12.43. The median estimate represents a +344.06% increase from the last price of 2.80.

What is the target price for meta stock in 2023? ›

Long-term projections have Meta at $272 by the end of 2022 and $360 by the end of 2023. Meta stock will hit $470 in 2025, $580 in 2027, and $765 in 2030, with further gains expected thereafter.

Is Tesla a buy or hold? ›

Is Tesla stock a Buy, Sell or Hold? Tesla stock has received a consensus rating of buy. The average rating score is and is based on 62 buy ratings, 26 hold ratings, and 5 sell ratings.

What is Zacks rating for Redfin? ›

Its Value Score of C indicates it would be a neutral pick for value investors.

How do you know when to buy or sell stocks? ›

Understanding When to Sell or Hold an Investment
  1. Time Horizon. An investor must determine their time horizon before purchasing stocks or any type of investment. ...
  2. Risk Tolerance. ...
  3. Buy and Hold. ...
  4. Adjusting a Portfolio. ...
  5. Freeing Up Capital. ...
  6. A Stock Hits the Price Target. ...
  7. Change in Fundamentals. ...
  8. Opportunity Cost.

How do you know when to sell a stock? ›

Reasons to sell a stock
  1. You've found something better. ...
  2. You made a mistake. ...
  3. The company's business outlook has changed. ...
  4. Tax reasons. ...
  5. Rebalancing your portfolio. ...
  6. Valuation no longer reflects business reality. ...
  7. You need the money. ...
  8. The stock has gone up.
Mar 8, 2023

What rank is Google on Zacks? ›

Price and Volume Information
Zacks Rank
Yesterday's Close125.43
52 Week High127.05
52 Week Low83.45
Beta1.10
2 more rows

What is Zacks rank #2? ›

Lower scores are better than higher scores. In order to get a lower score, an industry group must have a greater proportion of stocks with Zacks Rank of #1 ("Strong Buy") or #2 ("Buy"). These are stocks with the most positive trend in earnings estimate revisions.

Is Zacks portfolio tracker free? ›

Zacks' Portfolio Tracker is easy to use and free.

Who competes with Morningstar? ›

Top 10 Alternatives to Morningstar Direct
  • Seeking Alpha.
  • Bloomberg Terminal.
  • AlphaSense.
  • eMoney.
  • Ziggma.
  • Simply Wall St.
  • Nitrogen.
  • Refinitiv Eikon.

What is the best Morningstar Rating? ›

Funds that earn our highest rating—Gold—are those that we think are most likely to outperform over a full market cycle.

Is Morningstar a Chinese company? ›

Morningstar, Inc. is an American financial services firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and was founded by Joe Mansueto in 1984.

What are Morningstar risks? ›

Morningstar Risk is an annualized measure of a fund's downside return volatility, or how often the fund has dipped below its average returns over a period.

How to get Morningstar premium for free? ›

If you want to access reports and information from the Morningstar Premium section, check your local and state libraries to see if you can access it for free with your library card. Some public libraries also offer library cards to non-residents for an annual fee.

How often does Morningstar update star ratings? ›

Analyst Ratings are continuously monitored and reevaluated at least every 14 months. How does the Morningstar Analyst Rating work? Morningstar fund analysts assign the Analyst Rating to funds that have garnered the most investor interest and assets.

Are Morningstar analyst ratings reliable? ›

The Morningstar Quantitative Rating for managed investment products is off to a good start as a complement to the Morningstar Analyst Rating. The rating is a reliable input for investors to use when Morningstar analysts don't cover a fund.

Is a Morningstar Rating of 5 good? ›

A 5-star rating means the stock is undervalued and trading at an attractive discount relative to its fair value estimate.

What do the Q mean in Morningstar ratings? ›

Morningstar's quantitative equity rating, noted with a superscript Q, is forward-looking and generated by a statistical model. This model is designed to mimic our analyst-driven ratings by comparing a stock's underlying fundamentals with those of firms rated by Morningstar's analysts.

Who owns Zacks Investment Research? ›

Len Zacks, Founder & CEO

Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security.

Is Zacks long term or short term? ›

The Zacks Rank is a short-term indicator of stock performance that is effective for one to three months.

Does Zacks manage money? ›

Since 1978, the Zacks Investment Research team has given investors a trading advantage through its Zack Rank stock-rating system. Today, Zacks Investment Management is a leading wealth management firm with over $3 billion under active management.

What is similar to Zacks? ›

Top 10 Alternatives to Zacks Advisor Tools
  • AlphaSense.
  • Bloomberg Terminal.
  • S&P Capital IQ Pro.
  • Irwin.
  • YCharts.
  • Refinitiv Eikon.
  • Grata.
  • Backstop Solutions Suite.

What companies are like Zacks? ›

Finnworlds, xignite, Graviton, and Cbonds are the top competitors and alternatives to Zacks Investment Research.

How accurate is Zacks? ›

Is Zacks com trustworthy? Yes, Zacks is trustworthy. The company boasts exceptional long-term returns using its quantitative system which are backed by data.

How good is Zacks premium? ›

Is Zacks Premium worth it? Yes, absolutely. Zacks is worth it. Given that the stocks they rate as a #1 Strong Buy have beat the SP500 by 13.9% on average for the last 34 years, their system works.

What is a good stock score? ›

Stocks with an 80 or higher rating have the best chance of success. However, companies can boost their EPS figures through stock buybacks that reduce the number of outstanding shares. So, strong profit growth also demands strong sales growth.

Is Morningstar a good company to invest in? ›

Over the past 35+ years, it has developed a swath of independent research, ratings, and tools. Today, Morningstar is one of the most respected stock market analysis firms in the U.S. and is trusted by individuals and professional investors alike.

Who is Zacks competitor? ›

Zacks Alternatives
  • TradingView Stock Widgets. TradingView. ...
  • Barron's. Barron's. ...
  • GuruFocus. GuruFocus. ...
  • Bloomberg. Bloomberg. ...
  • TheStreet. TheStreet. ...
  • TipRanks. TipRanks. ...
  • Seeking Alpha. Seeking Alpha. ...
  • Jika.io. Jika.io.

What is the best Morningstar rating? ›

Funds that earn our highest rating—Gold—are those that we think are most likely to outperform over a full market cycle.

Is Morningstar a fiduciary? ›

We offer a spectrum of fiduciary support through Morningstar Investment Management LLC, a registered investment adviser and wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc.

Who is Zacks owned by? ›

Len Zacks, Founder & CEO.

What is the alternative to Zacks Investment Research? ›

Top 10 Alternatives to Zacks Advisor Tools
  • AlphaSense.
  • Bloomberg Terminal.
  • S&P Capital IQ Pro.
  • Irwin.
  • YCharts.
  • Refinitiv Eikon.
  • Grata.
  • Backstop Solutions Suite.

Is Target a good stock to buy Zacks? ›

Shares of Target have returned -3.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.5% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

Is a Morningstar Rating of 4 good? ›

A 4-star rating means the stock is moderately undervalued and trading at a slight discount relative to its fair value estimate. To unlock pre-built screens curated by our seasoned analysts, subscribe to Morningstar Investor.

What is Morningstar Rating for Costco? ›

On November 30, DBRS Limited (DBRS Morningstar) confirmed Costco Wholesale Corporation's Issuer Rating and Senior Unsecured Debt rating at AA (low) and also confirmed the Company's Short-Term Issuer Rating at R-1 (middle). All trends are Stable.

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