Virtu Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIRT) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Virtu Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIRT) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the seven ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $42.5714.

Several analysts recently weighed in on VIRT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on shares of Virtu Financial from $48.00 to $38.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 6th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Virtu Financial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $35.00 target price on shares of Virtu Financial in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price target on Virtu Financial from $51.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday.

Virtu Financial Trading Up 2.7%

NASDAQ:VIRT opened at $36.87 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $5.64 billion, a PE ratio of 10.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.58. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $34.38 and a 200 day moving average price of $37.27. Virtu Financial has a 12-month low of $31.55 and a 12-month high of $45.77. The company has a current ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11.

Virtu Financial (NASDAQ:VIRT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.04 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $467.02 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $422.92 million. Virtu Financial had a return on equity of 32.08% and a net margin of 10.43%.Virtu Financial’s revenue was up 20.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.82 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Virtu Financial will post 3.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Virtu Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Virtu Financial’s payout ratio is presently 20.78%.

Institutional Trading of Virtu Financial

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in shares of Virtu Financial by 1,624.1% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 942 shares in the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new position in Virtu Financial in the first quarter valued at $222,000. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Virtu Financial during the first quarter worth about $1,934,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in shares of Virtu Financial by 13.4% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 226,233 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $8,624,000 after purchasing an additional 26,743 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Virtu Financial by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 10,002 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $381,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.78% of the company’s stock.

Virtu Financial Company Profile

Virtu Financial, Inc (NASDAQ: VIRT) is a leading global electronic trading firm specializing in market making, liquidity provision and trade execution services across a broad range of asset classes. Leveraging advanced quantitative models and proprietary trading technology, Virtu provides continuous bid and ask quotes in equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, commodities and digital assets. The firm’s infrastructure is designed to operate at high speeds and low latencies, enabling tight spreads and efficient price discovery for its clients.

In addition to its market-making activities, Virtu offers agency execution services, algorithmic trading strategies and transaction cost analysis tools.