Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ:VRTS) Sets New 12-Month Low – Should You Sell?

Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTS) shares reached a new 52-week low during trading on Saturday . The stock traded as low as $140.23 and last traded at $140.67, with a volume of 113303 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $150.96.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Virtus Investment Partners from $180.00 to $173.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Virtus Investment Partners from $168.00 to $155.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Barclays boosted their target price on Virtus Investment Partners from $158.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on Virtus Investment Partners from $218.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Virtus Investment Partners from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Virtus Investment Partners currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $175.00.

Virtus Investment Partners Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 11.86, a current ratio of 11.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $164.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $177.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $950.09 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.32 and a beta of 1.47.

Virtus Investment Partners Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 11th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, January 31st will be issued a $2.40 dividend. This represents a $9.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. Virtus Investment Partners’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.02%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Virtus Investment Partners

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VRTS. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Virtus Investment Partners by 109.4% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 229,357 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $43,585,000 after purchasing an additional 119,802 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 23.8% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 155,881 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $29,622,000 after acquiring an additional 29,919 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 0.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 154,982 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $28,115,000 after acquiring an additional 961 shares in the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC increased its position in Virtus Investment Partners by 22.4% during the second quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 125,078 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $22,913,000 after acquiring an additional 22,900 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. raised its stake in Virtus Investment Partners by 21.6% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 101,954 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $18,494,000 after purchasing an additional 18,143 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.52% of the company’s stock.

About Virtus Investment Partners

Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ: VRTS) is a publicly traded investment management company headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. The firm offers a broad range of investment solutions to institutional, high-net-wealth, and retail investors, drawing on the expertise of multiple affiliated investment teams. Since its founding in 1995, Virtus has grown by integrating specialized asset managers and expanding its product lineup, while maintaining a focus on active management across diverse market environments.

The company’s product suite encompasses mutual funds, closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), collective trusts, UCITS funds, and separately managed accounts.