Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTS) Shares Sold by Swiss National Bank

Swiss National Bank lessened its holdings in shares of Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTS) by 0.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 13,900 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock after selling 100 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank owned 0.20% of Virtus Investment Partners worth $3,066,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its stake in Virtus Investment Partners by 8.3% during the fourth quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 1,300 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $287,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Quarry LP boosted its position in Virtus Investment Partners by 388.5% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 127 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Virtus Investment Partners by 170.3% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 200 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV lifted its stake in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 61.2% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 395 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $87,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 21.5% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $242,000 after buying an additional 205 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.52% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on VRTS shares. StockNews.com raised Virtus Investment Partners from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $211.00 to $198.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $274.00 to $258.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $221.00 to $200.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $225.75.

Virtus Investment Partners Stock Performance

Virtus Investment Partners stock opened at $174.49 on Thursday. Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. has a 52 week low of $167.13 and a 52 week high of $263.39. The company has a current ratio of 11.86, a quick ratio of 11.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The stock has a market cap of $1.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.32 and a beta of 1.49. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $188.99 and a 200-day moving average of $210.62.

Virtus Investment Partners Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be issued a dividend of $2.25 per share. This represents a $9.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 30th. Virtus Investment Partners’s dividend payout ratio is currently 53.25%.

Virtus Investment Partners Profile

Virtus Investment Partners, Inc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to individual and institutional clients. It launches separate client focused equity and fixed income portfolios. The firm launches equity, fixed income, and balanced mutual funds for its clients.