Virtu Financial, Inc. (VIRT) – What Are Analysts Thinking About This Stock?

Shares of Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the seven ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $69.25.

Several research firms recently issued reports on VIRT. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Virtu Financial in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Virtu Financial in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Virtu Financial from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 6th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Virtu Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Virtu Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 24th.

Virtu Financial Stock Down 0.5%

Virtu Financial stock traded down $0.29 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $59.32. The stock had a trading volume of 1,397,710 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,028,104. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.21 billion, a PE ratio of 8.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 0.67. Virtu Financial has a fifty-two week low of $31.55 and a fifty-two week high of $68.76. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $57.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $52.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a current ratio of 0.49.

Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.25. Virtu Financial had a return on equity of 49.68% and a net margin of 14.20%. The company had revenue of $956.39 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $647.02 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.05 earnings per share. Virtu Financial’s revenue for the quarter was up 147.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Virtu Financial will post 6.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Virtu Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Virtu Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.10%.

Insider Transactions at Virtu Financial

In other news, Director John Nixon sold 9,094 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.13, for a total value of $546,822.22. Following the transaction, the director owned 30,902 shares in the company, valued at $1,858,137.26. This trade represents a 22.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Joseph J. Grano, Jr. sold 8,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.94, for a total value of $511,896.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 33,814 shares in the company, valued at $2,060,625.16. This represents a 19.90% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 46.76% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Virtu Financial

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VIRT. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Virtu Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Pension & Wealth Management Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Virtu Financial in the 3rd quarter worth $42,000. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of Virtu Financial in the 3rd quarter worth $66,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Virtu Financial in the 3rd quarter worth $69,000. Finally, C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Virtu Financial in the second quarter valued at about $88,000. 45.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Virtu Financial Company Profile

Virtu Financial, Inc. is a financial technology firm and electronic market maker that provides liquidity across a range of global financial markets. The company uses technology and quantitative analysis to facilitate trading in asset classes including equities, exchange-traded funds, options, futures, currencies, fixed income and commodities. In addition to market making, Virtu offers execution services and trading technology for institutional investors, broker-dealers and other market participants.