Algert Global LLC lifted its position in Virtu Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIRT - Free Report) by 99.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 166,875 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 83,099 shares during the quarter. Algert Global LLC owned 0.11% of Virtu Financial worth $5,954,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VIRT. FMR LLC increased its position in Virtu Financial by 28.2% in the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,375,783 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $227,488,000 after acquiring an additional 1,401,688 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in Virtu Financial by 180.0% in the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 948,590 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $33,846,000 after purchasing an additional 609,821 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in Virtu Financial by 48.2% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,448,866 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $51,696,000 after purchasing an additional 471,526 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Virtu Financial in the 4th quarter valued at about $12,196,000. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Virtu Financial during the 4th quarter worth approximately $12,018,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.78% of the company's stock.
Virtu Financial Stock Performance
Shares of NASDAQ VIRT traded up $0.67 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $43.15. The company's stock had a trading volume of 910,969 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,191,437. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.53, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.68. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $37.77 and a 200-day moving average price of $36.75. Virtu Financial, Inc. has a 12-month low of $21.55 and a 12-month high of $43.45.
Virtu Financial (NASDAQ:VIRT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.31. Virtu Financial had a return on equity of 27.39% and a net margin of 9.61%. The business had revenue of $497.14 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $444.23 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.76 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 30.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Virtu Financial, Inc. will post 3.13 earnings per share for the current year.
Virtu Financial Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 30th will be given a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 30th. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.22%. Virtu Financial's payout ratio is currently 27.75%.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, COO Brett Fairclough sold 72,967 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.84, for a total value of $2,688,104.28. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 90,749 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,343,193.16. This trade represents a 44.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Douglas A. Cifu sold 177,561 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.88, for a total transaction of $6,903,571.68. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 231,306 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,993,177.28. This trade represents a 43.43 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 496,848 shares of company stock valued at $18,995,338 over the last ninety days. 47.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of brokerages recently weighed in on VIRT. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Virtu Financial from $56.00 to $48.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Virtu Financial from $37.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Virtu Financial from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on Virtu Financial from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $40.00 price objective (up from $38.00) on shares of Virtu Financial in a report on Thursday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $37.88.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on VIRT
Virtu Financial Profile
(
Free Report)
Virtu Financial, Inc operates as a financial services company in the United States, Asia Pacific, Canada, EMEA, Ireland, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Market Making and Execution Services. Its product includes offerings in execution, liquidity sourcing, analytics and broker-neutral, capital markets, and multi-dealer platforms in workflow technology.
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